Lonely Souls
by Hilseo
Summary: Sequel to the Saddened painter and the Lonely Shinobi. Being in the Akatsuki was definitely not what Tsuky expected. With Ayano's death, she could easily come back to Konoha and live her dream, but Itachi has grown overprotective of her. What is he hiding? Can she save him from himself? And how is she going to face Sasuke?
1. Not what I expected

This is the first chapter of "Lonely Souls", the sequel to "The Saddened Painter and the Lonely Shinobi".

This chapter contains pretty much only explanations, no real actions, that will come later. So, I hope you'll enjoy this!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, nor the picture (Modified it, but still not mine)

 **Warning:** May be a boring chapter, but don't give it up! It's necessary to the plot.

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Had she been anyone else, she'd have started yelling at him a long, long time ago.

Seriously, what kind of sensei makes his student practice throwing kunais for FIVE HOURS?! He had never done that before. And the targets weren't even changing. He had woken her up at five a.m. and led her here, in that stupid clearing, had set ten targets in different places, and told her to hit them all. And she did, hitting the bull's eye each and every time. Then she turned to him, grinning, knowing she had reached his expectations of her. But then, instead of the single nod of acknowledgement he'd always give her before moving to a new exercise, he'd just blinked and said, "Again." Confused, she'd gathered her kunai and started again, doing just the same as the first time. Only to hear once more this quiet, infuriating "again." If she didn't know him she'd think he was trying to get a rise out of her. But she _did_ know him, to an extent, and she knew that was not his style. Because he knew such behaviour from him would only serve to decrease her already low self-confidence, and if he had really wanted to make her angry, he'd have mentioned her almost wedding, and commented on how a good wife she would have been. If there was one thing Tsuky couldn't stand, it was being denied her status as a kunoichi. Because, she hadn't suffered torture and betrayal to still be considered a civilian. Not when she could keep up with an Akatsuki member.

Well, keeping up was a big word. It was more like being able to avoid being beaten to a bloody pulp by crazy members. Seriously, what was with them and blood? The first time she trained with each of them, they had all tried –and succeeded- to beat her up; she'd spent months now trying to understand exactly what was going on in these crazy criminals' mi-

"Tsuky."

She jumped, startled; she'd forgotten he was there. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes; he was watching her with something akin to annoyance, and…was that amusement?

"Don't get distracted. In a fight, you would be dead."

Tsuky scowled. He wasn't the one who'd been up since five in the freaking morning just to practice an accuracy that was already excellent. Besides, the bastard had his eyes closed the entire time; she was almost certain he'd been sleeping for the past hour or so. Maybe even more, and yet he never missed anything of what she did.

"In a battle, I wouldn't be doing the same thing over and over for five stupid hours," she muttered, so he wouldn't hear it. If that exercise had a purpose, then she was completely missing it.

"Your accuracy is decreasing."

Tsuky looked up, and glanced at the targets. He's right, she thought; over the past hour, she had somehow stopped hitting the middle of each, and her kunai were slowly drifting towards the edge. She scowled again; of course her accuracy was decreasing! She wasn't about to keep focused on such a repetitive and long task as-

Blink.

Blink.

Oh.

So _that_ was the purpose of the exercise.

Sometimes she _really_ hated him.

She looked back at him, only to be met with the infamous Uchiha smirk, one that said, _took you long enough._

Alright, Tsuky. Breath in, breath out. You _can't_ beat him to a bloody pulp and you _can't_ yell at him for waking you at five in the morning for a stupid exercise teaching you something you already knew.

That is, that her attention needed to always remain focused, or else her accuracy and efficiency in battle would decrease significantly.

But the exercise in itself was stupid.

You are never doing the same thing for such a long time; the battle is always moving, so it's true you have to always be on guard. But five hours like this? That was ridiculous. Unless he was trying to determine exactly how long she could stay focused on a task? But he should have told her, then. She wouldn't have reacted the same if he had told her exactly what it was about. So, that meant he'd _wanted_ her to become unfocused, so he could prove his point. But he _had_ proven it; she knew what the purpose of this exercise was, now. So why was he _still_ watching her like that? Wasn't the exercise over? Unless there was even more than just learning she should stay focused.

Look underneath the underneath.

What more could he have done?

The answer was evident.

She cursed.

"Kai!"

The air rippled around her, slowly dissolving; trees appeared everywhere, dismissing the clearing she was previously standing in; the targets changed place, and she was suddenly aware of the river's gentle chant not ten feet behind her. And, of course, Itachi was nowhere to be seen. Her cheeks burned in shame upon realising that, when they started the exercise, they had indeed been in a forest with a small stream, and not a clearing. Now that she thought about it, the targets had all been in plain sight while in the genjutsu, whereas he had hid them in the forest at the beginning, out of her reach, so she had had to target them almost blindly. She didn't know when the genjutsu had been casted, but one thing was certain: he really was frightening when it came to genjutsu, and wasn't called a master for nothing. He'd taken advantage of her lack of attention to slowly shift the landscape until it had transformed into something completely different, and she had never noticed.

Frightening indeed.

Tsuky shook her head. Once again, she was reminded that they did not play in the same field. She was very average, probably jonin level or so; but that was nowhere near good enough. For a month after Itachi took her away from Konoha, she had been healing. Even after six months, the scars on her back left by Ayano were still there, like an ugly proof of who she used to be, what she should have been. They would fade in time, but for now, she was still painfully aware of the terrible torture she had been through. Itachi had been there all along the way as she screamed in her sleep, begging an unseen shadow not to hurt her; begging her father to stay, not to leave her alone. Her nights had been restless for a while before settling once again. During that time, while Itachi had kept watch over her nights, Deidara had watched after her days.

She had been surprised, the first time she awoke to find the blond bomber tending to her wounds. Apparently, he'd been doing so for a while, but she had never awoken in his presence before. And, he had been the first to make her smile again, when he'd just jumped ten feet in the air upon realising she was awake, and blushing profusely at being caught stroking her hair. She'd giggled then, and when he'd snapped at her that he was just wondering how she could fight with hair so ridiculously long without tying it like he did, the giggle had turned into a full out laugh. A laugh she'd soon regretted, as her healing muscles couldn't handle the sudden tension, and let her know in very painful way. He'd grudgingly tended to her wounds again, and had introduced himself. They'd chatted for a while, before being interrupted by Itachi.

Tsuky frowned. Itachi had grown…strange, since he brought her here. He was always on edge around the other members, when she was with him at least. Because when they were training, he'd revert to the personality she knew, the silent, observant sensei who had been building up her strength for the past three years or so. And yet, something had changed in their relationship. That time he'd interrupted her conversation with Deidara, he'd almost frightened her with the intensity of his glare. And he hadn't even been glaring at her; Deidara had been on the receiving end of it, and the blond had almost bolted out of the room at the sight. Itachi had finished what the blond had started without saying a word; and then, right before he left, and without even looking at her, he'd told her to stay away from Deidara and the other members. A warning she didn't understand, since as soon as she was healed he let them beat her up under the guise of training, even if he was always present when it happened. So far, she'd seen Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu and Hidan, even if the two had been quick to dismiss her, Zetsu, who'd scare the hell out of her when he melted out of the ground right underneath her feet, and of course, the leader.

That had not been a pleasant experience.

 _Tsuky was walking behind Itachi, in a dark corridor of the Akastsuki's headquarters. Of course it wasn't the main building, she'd been told; this was just a hideout, the main base was elsewhere. And she wasn't meeting the leader himself, but a hologram. Even if Itachi had warned her to be respectful, and not to lie to him. Because apparently, hologram or not, he had the power to kill her before she could blink. Such a reassuring thought._

 _They reached a black door that seemed to absorb all lights; there wasn't a lot to begin with, so she resorted to use her Hoshigan to see in the dark, a move that had been approved by Itachi, if the single nod he gave in her direction was anything to go by. Both had stopped, and Itachi stayed quiet. He knocked once, and the door opened on its own, as a silent invitation to enter. He stepped away from it and let her cross the threshold. She felt him pat her back, lightly pushing her towards the room._

 _"_ _Remember: be respectful and don't lie," he whispered, before the door closed behind her._

 _She breathed deeply, trying to still her nerves. Now was the time to prove herself worthy of being trained by Itachi. He had already deemed her worthy of it, but he wasn't the leader of Akatsuki; the man hiding in the shadows was. And if he wasn't satisfied with her, it would be over, here and then. Itachi wouldn't be able to do a thing._

 _She refocused on the shadows surrounding her; despite the Hoshigan, it was difficult to see anything. Whereas the sharingan was meant to see in the dark, because it was used to predict an opponent's moves at any time, the Hoshigan was meant to target the mind; something that had no tangible form, meaning no real improvement of her vision._

 _Well, a bit, but not enough in the potent darkness of the room._

 _She suddenly became aware of a powerful chakra residing a few feet in front of her; had it always been here, or had it just appeared out of nowhere? Had he been hiding it from her, to gauge her reaction? Impossible to tell._

 _Something moved before her, and she was instantly on guard. She didn't know what was expected of her, exactly. From Itachi's words, she had guessed he would only talk to her; but what if he wanted to judge her fighting abilities? Or worse, what if he had already decided she should die? What then?_

 _Calm down, she thought, panicking won't help you. Stand strong and prove him you can be trained, and that you won't be a burden to the organization. You can do it._

 _She let her eyes meet the shadows before her, knowing somewhere in there the man was observing her, silently. She could almost feel him circling her, like a predator wondering what his prey would do. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of bolting. True, she was scared, and she was certain he could feel it; her heart was beating so loudly in the deadly atmosphere of the room, he couldn't not hear it. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found it, because suddenly the tension of the air vanished, and a cold, unfeeling voice called out to her:_

 _"_ _Come closer."_

 _It took her everything she had not to turn back and run. She could suddenly see him, or rather, his eyes. The Rinnegan. She'd read about them in the Konoha library, and although there wasn't much knowledge to read, the little she had learned was enough to know this man possessed tremendous power, and was not one to be messed with. Let's not forget he'd created the most powerful criminal organization of the world, feared by the five great shinobi nations. If someone was capable of scarring this world beyond recognition, then it was him without a doubt. Just then, she realised the predicament she was in; the man had created an evil organization, powerful enough to be a real threat to the world. What was his ultimate goal? Why did he create the Akatsuki? Does he want to conquer the world? That's what every villain wants to do, right? But if it was his goal, then what was she to do? She may have left Konoha, but she wasn't evil. She wouldn't kill unless she had a good reason, and world domination wasn't a good reason. Would he feel her reluctance to join? What then? And even if he didn't, and allowed her to join, would she be able to stand the violence the organization would undoubtedly bring in her world? Would she be able to stand back, watching as innocent lives were taken, all for the sake of a power-hungry man? And if she couldn't stand it, what would she do?_

 _Because one thing was certain: Itachi would never let her go. Not after the trouble he went through to get her here._

 _She shook herself, and approached the still man. His creepy purple eyes shook her to the core; it felt as though he was invading her very soul, reading her every thoughts. As if he could see everything she was hiding from him, and in a sense, she guessed he could; the eyes weren't called the window of the soul for no reason. Her own eyes had always been very expressive, Ayano had told her so right before she died. Her feelings were portrayed in her eyes, bare for the world to see –something the leader probably wouldn't miss. She stopped at what she felt was an appropriate distance, close enough to show she was not scared, but far enough to show respect. She thought she saw him approving her choice, but she might as well have imagined it. If it weren't for his eyes, she might have thought he was dead._

 _"_ _Tell me why I should allow you in the Akatsuki."_

 _Tsuky almost let herself relax. That question was easy; Itachi had told her his reasons for training her, so she had to say what he told her back then. At least, she hoped so; she couldn't afford to fail now. He had asked a question, but she knew he wasn't asking her to convince him. Rather, he wanted to know if she was aware of her strengths and weaknesses, and the ways she could be useful to the organization. He was probably trying to see if she could really be an asset, considering her background. She had to prove she was a true kunoichi. She took a deep breath –which she seemed to do a lot since entering this room- and answered:_

 _"_ _I awakened the Hoshigan, which is a powerful doujutsu that had not been awakened by anyone for the past fifty years or so. While not as powerful as the Sharingan, it can be useful when it comes to getting information rapidly and efficiently. Besides, this will bring the number of doujutsus in the organization to three, which is a feat in itself. The Akastuki will become more powerful, if only by the knowledge people will have of the amount of powerful kekkei genkai it has."_

 _She hoped it was the correct answer. She had mentioned the Hoshigan and nothing of her individual strength, and she knew he had noticed, but it's not like she could have said anything about it. She was not as strong as them, and she had no real experience when it came to fighting. But he had to know this; Itachi had talked to him before bringing her before him. And Itachi wouldn't have let her meet him if he didn't believe she had a chance of making it out alive. So, this would have to do for now. She couldn't think of anything else. The answered seemed to satisfy him, though, because his next question was not related to her strength as a shinobi._

 _"_ _Why did you leave your home village?"_

 _Damn. She didn't want to answer that one. Her past was none of his business, and there was no way she'd tell him about her past self, the one she used to be before Itachi came along. She mentally cringed upon recalling how weak she had been. But if Itachi had told him…then should she be truthful about it? But then again if he had, no need to repeat herself. And somehow, she doubted he wanted to hear the whole story. No, he was probably waiting for a short answer, straight and to the point. In other words, what she wanted to achieve at the Akatsuki, and that she couldn't with Konoha. So. 'Mind your own business' was out of the question; 'I do not wish to talk about it' would be perceived as a weakness, so no. 'It's complicated' wouldn't do either; so let's stick to a blunt truth, without going in details. She also needed ta assure him that her ties with the village were broken, without being obvious about it, and even if it weren't exactly true; she'd never be able to harm anyone she had known in Konoha but he didn't need to know that. So, she needed to be truthful while staying vague, respectful while telling him not to pry, and detached from her village without being sincere. Great._

 _"_ _I left," she began quietly, choosing her words very carefully, "because the village prevented me from reaching what I truly want. Since it went against the rules, I was some sort of an outcast. Itachi offered me a way to achieve my dream without betraying my ideals, thus resulting in my being here."_

 _She'd purposely left an opening when it came to what she wanted. He had to be interested in it, and so if she was lucky, he wouldn't pry into her reasons for leaving but-_

 _"_ _What do you want to achieve?"_

 _Bingo._

 _She did not hesitate._

 _"_ _True freedom. I believe freedom isn't about being able to do whatever I want, whenever and wherever I want, but rather the possibility of doing what I must and choosing to do it, not being forced to. Being born in a ninja village made me obligated to something I did not choose, something I didn't agree with. Therefore I left, looking for a place where my beliefs and my duty would be able to coexist."_

 _It went unsaid that she had chosen to obey Akatsuki's rules; she had not lied about anything, sticking to half-truths and staying rather unclear as to exactly what she was talking about. He thought it was Konoha when it was her clan, but he didn't need to know that. She had affirmed her personality, while making it obvious that she would abide by his rules and orders. She had appeared strong, and smart; the two qualities she needed to have here, and she thought she must have passed his test. She did not make any mistakes that she was aware of, had been truthful, and respectful. Unless he called her out on her relationship with Konoha, she was safe. She wasn't a good liar, so if he did, she was dead. There was no way she could tell him she would kill people of her village if he ordered her to. She wouldn't be able to. In the end, however, it appeared she was worrying for nothing, for after this he began telling her about Akatsuki's goal; an obvious mark of trust on his part. Even if she couldn't quite hide her shock upon learning their goal wasn't world domination –well, it was, in a way, but it wasn't the real objective- but world peace. The worst organization in the whole world, composed of only S-ranked criminal, was fighting for world peace. In a quite radical way, yes, but world peace still. And the part about the bijuus didn't make it any easier to swallow._

 _Especially when she learnt Naruto was the last one._

Tsuky lay down on the soft grass, thinking; that part about Naruto had changed everything. She wanted the world to be at peace, but she disagreed with their answer to the shinobi world's problems. She didn't think scaring people into submission was the best way to go. She knew she was being hypocritical; killing strangers didn't bother her, but killing Naruto did. He was her friend, the only one who hadn't laughed at her attempts to fight the rules; she wouldn't let their friendship go to waste, no matter what; she'd find a way to save him.

But there lay the problem: she was with the Akatsuki now. She couldn't rebel against them. She did not have enough power. But when would she ever have? Itachi was so much stronger than her; she had no hope of ever beating him, not in the little time she had left. Because they would begin hunting the bijuus soon, and Naruto would be in danger. And she wasn't sure she could help him, not when her own situation was so troublesome, to quote Shikamaru.

She was involved with something she didn't agree with and was branded a traitor to the people she truly belonged with, now that Ayano was gone. And she couldn't do anything about it, not with Itachi and the other members always by her side. She briefly wondered how they were doing, all of them. Whatever happened, she hoped they would be alright.

She got up and headed to the hideout. She still had a dark-haired Uchiha to yell at for ditching her in the guise of training.

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She had no way of knowing it, but at the same time, far, far away from her, blood splattered on the walls of a dark room deep underground, and a dark-haired teenager, so much like the one she went to find, was standing in the middle of the scene, unharmed. While there were dark red stains on his katana, none had dared landing on his clothes, which remained white and untouched, a stark contrast to the darkness of his heart. The boy - _no, young man; he hadn't been a boy for a long, long time_ \- wiped his blade on the dead skin of his latest kill, a huge, long white snake who used to be human. A monster had died; and what no one else knew, not even the young man at that time, was that another had been born in his stead, far stronger, far deadlier. Or maybe the monster had always been there; after this, something had irrevocably changed inside of him. He'd lost yet another part of his innocence, and this time, he'd crossed the point of no return, the point where the scars would remain branded in his soul, and even Time wouldn't be able to heal them. He sheathed his blade and left the bloody scene, barely acknowledging the distraught spy who, looking for his master, entered the room and found the body just as he was leaving. He had a task to fulfil, and no one would stand in his way.

Uchiha Sasuke wandered on the corridors, freeing prisoners as he went; the monster laid dormant in his soul. Soon it would awaken, and erase every feeling, every rule, every morals the ninja ever followed. It would grow stronger and stronger as the days went by, as he would come closer and closer to fulfilling his goal. Monster and Human were free to walk hand in hand, but the Uchiha's iron will kept the darkness at bay, caged in the depths of his soul. He couldn't afford to let it free now; he had yet to give up on everything. True, he was now only loyal to himself and his family's memory; but it didn't mean he had forgotten everything he had ever learned. He did not want to, right now. Those rules were a part of him, and he felt no need to break them, for he didn't feel restrained by them. But the still water runs deep; if these rules ever were to hinder him in his quest, there was no doubt in his mind that he would throw them out the window without a care in the world; such was the dark creature he'd become away from the only light in his life: the people he could have called friends. But they were nothing to him now. If they lived their lives peacefully, away from him, then good for them. But if they were to interfere in his quest…there would be no mercy for anyone.

 _Except for her._

Whenever he'd felt on the verge of giving up, he'd thought about her. She came from a powerful clan, and yet wasn't allowed to become a shinobi. Sasuke believed women to be weaker than men, but that's only because the only experiences he had had with women were his mother _–soft, kind, and gentle; the epitome of beauty and submission-_ his fangirls _–weak, pathetic beings, who weren't worth anything in his eyes-_ and her. She was different from the other women he knew, but she was still weak. It wasn't her fault if she was, and Sasuke preferred it this way. At least she was safe, and he could come for her anytime; she'd be there. She was the only one he'd ever considered as someone to rebuild his clan with. She was the only one he could stand for more than five minutes –if only because, like him, she didn't talk unless she had something useful to say. They used to talk for hours, thinking, debating together under the stars when sleep evaded them both–each for their own reasons. For him, it was because of the lost family and happiness, and the memories of who he once was, for the stolen light of his childhood, and the tainted image of an older sibling who used to be the world to him. For her, it was because of the sadness of a future never meant to be, for a dream which would never come true, and for a weakness she couldn't change. Neither ever said anything about their feelings, their nightmares; they didn't need to. Their souls understood each other like no one else did, and they were content to live it at that, in comfortable silence; but the silence held secrets, and secrets prevented them from growing as close as they could have been. Secrets prevented her from telling him about her training, and him from telling her about his departure. Maybe they weren't as close as they thought they were; maybe they shared a different closeness, one that only they could understand. Maybe they didn't need anything else. They understood each other; but while one had been cursed to darkness by the one he trusted the most, the same person had saved her from it, someone she'd never thought she'd ever believe in. But Sasuke didn't know that, didn't know the depth of the despair she'd been in. And that would be what would separate them, whereas it had been what had brought them closer in the past. She had found a light, where he'd remained in the darkness.

Back in the academy, she had been one of the few who didn't fawn all over him like some lost puppy. He knew she was gifted when it came to painting, but it wasn't enough to catch his attention.

Yet her mind was.

He could still remember it like it was yesterday; he'd been heading to the training grounds to train, like he always did after class, and stumbled upon her. She was standing in the middle of the clearing, eyes glazed over as she watched the sky without seeing it, lost in painful memories – _it was obvious in her eyes, full of a sadness so strong so deep and so much like his own._ He'd been stunned that day, to the point that he hid behind a tree before she could see him, mentally cringing at his stupid behaviour. But he couldn't help it.

The memories of _that_ night were still fresh in his mind, and he was but a child who desperately sought comfort, despite being already hell bent on revenge. He came back the next day, and the next after that. She knew he was there; but she never commented.

The night he talked to her for the first time was the night that brought them close, and yet also the night that forever set them apart, not that they knew it at the time. It had been the night of her father's death, the night her dreams had been shattered; the night where she had entered a world different than his own.

Maybe Fate would allow their paths to cross and intertwine again. Only Time could tell.

But for now, as he stood before the deserted base with his three new teammates, two things crossed his mind.

First, his mind focused on his ultimate goal; on the man he had set to kill.

Then, his thoughts went to her, knowing the sooner Itachi was gone, the sooner she would be by his side.

It wouldn't be much longer now.

"Wait for me, Tsuky," he whispered, and the wind carried his words away to the person of his thoughts –who remained oblivious to them.


	2. On the Move

Hello, few silent readers!

Not even one, tiny little review? Am I such a bad writer? I'm starting to wonder.

Anyway, this was supposed to stop with Naruto's apparition –but the chapter kept stretching and stretching to the point that I had to stop much earlier than expected, so this is it. I apologise for any mistake and such, English is not my first language. Still, I hope you enjoy this, and thanks to those who favorited and followed!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

 **Warning:** Boring again? I don't know. You tell me.

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Tsuky marched angrily towards Itachi's room. She had half the mind to yell at him for ditching her, but…first she wasn't one to raise her voice, and second, Itachi reacted…strangely, to say the least, when she was mad. The first time she got mad at him (The first time he allowed Kisame to beat her up) she'd thought he wouldn't take too kindly to being defied by her, and yet…she'd had the feeling that he was just highly amused, like a grown-up facing a child throwing a tantrum, and he'd had the strangest expression on his face…one she didn't understand, and she wasn't willing to find out. It was…unsettling, to say the least, and she never liked it when his eyes would cloud over with that strange, almost hungry-like expression. It scared her.

Especially since it didn't happen only when she was angry at him –she wouldn't worry so much if it was, since she wasn't angry at him that often- but also sometimes during training, when she'd take her jacket off and leave her shoulders bare, or when she'd bend over to reach for something, and stand back up…he'd be there, staring at her with that darkness in his eyes. She'd never been one to like the attention, and that look in his eyes was almost too much for her to bear.

Tsuky shook her head. It was hypocritical of her to say she didn't know what that look was…because she _did_ know. She wasn't ignorant on the topic. She had been taught about her body when she went through puberty, and about the… _physical activities_ a man and a woman (Leiko had stressed this fact out: it was _always_ between a _man_ and a _woman_ , never between two of the _same kind_. _Stupid old hag_ , Tsuky had grumbled at the time) partook in. But, acknowledging that her crush desired her was a big step forward, one she wasn't ready to take. And if he wasn't going to make a move…then neither would she. Besides, she wasn't ready to have a physical relationship with anyone, even someone she trusted like Itachi, if said person didn't love her. And she knew he didn't love her. To him, she was his responsibility, his student, maybe even his friend –even though she strongly doubted that- but not someone he could love. There was no one in that category, anyway. He'd told her that before.

Emotions are what makes you to do stupid things. The shinobi overwhelmed by fear runs away instead of thinking rationally and staying alive. And the shinobi who loves is blinded by his need to protect his loved ones. Emotions control you, and the shinobi who isn't in control dies. It's as simple as that. _And yet_ , a little voice whispered in her head, _he came back for you back then, when you didn't come. He'd told you he would leave without turning back, but he did the exact opposite._ She was quick to dismiss that voice, though. He wouldn't love her, so hoping would only get her crushed in the future. That day, he'd probably been reluctant to lose someone he spent so much time training. He wasn't one to do pointless things. _Yeah, must be that._

She had calmed down during the walk to his room; it would do no good if she yelled at him. She'd remain calm, relaxed and non-threatening, and tell him she wished he'd spent time really training her, instead of leaving her inside a genjutsu. That should work. She pushed the door opened; she was still slightly angry, so not knocking would serve as a way of telling him so. Might be stupid, but it works. Besides, it was about ten thirty in the morning, so he's probably not changing or taking a shower.

In the end, she was right. He wasn't changing or in the process of drying himself.

"…Itachi..?"

But she'd have preferred it if he were.

Because nothing could have prepared her for the sight of him being down on his knees, hunched over, and coughing blood in his hands, clasped tightly over his mouth. When he heard her he raised his head to look at her, and when their eyes met, she saw more feelings in his eyes than she'd ever seen. Pain, shock, anger, worry, _fear_ , the one emotion she'd never seen him express. He coughed again and broke eye contact, even though it was obvious he was desperately trying to hide it, now. But she'd seen, and there was no way she was letting him alone in this state. She rushed to his side and helped him stand by putting his arm on her shoulders, and she approached her arm to his throat, with green chakra glowing faintly around her hand. He'd taught her the basics of healing, and she doubted that would be enough to help him, but she could always try. At least that's what she thought, until his hand shot out from the floor and caught her wrist in a tight hold, preventing her from touching his skin.

"Don't..!" he rasped, voice weak and almost inaudible from all the coughing. But there was no mistaking the authority in that whisper, and so she let the green light fade from her hands, opting to let them wander over his back instead in a gentle stroke. Soon afterwards, the coughing stopped, and Itachi reached for a bottle of white pills, inside his cloak, gulping three in one go. She offered him a glass of water, which he took graciously, before standing up. The last vestiges of his weakened state disappeared under years of intense training, and the strong Akatsuki member she'd always know was back, although now she knew most of it was but a mask hiding his weaknesses, giving to everyone the illusion of an invincible warrior. But the mask had cracked, and Tsuky had caught a glimpse of what laid underneath. She couldn't forget what she'd seen.

"…Itachi..?" She asked again, worried he was going to collapse under his own weight, after what she'd just witnessed. It was obviously not the first time this happened, if he had pills to take whenever this occurred. And since he kept the bottle with him at all times…

Just how often was this happening?

He straightened, before looking at her with burning charcoal eyes. The worry was evident in her gaze, and despite himself he was thankful to know at least one person would be sad if he died. But he couldn't allow her to know more than what he wished her to. She'd already witnessed one of his attacks, and he knew she wouldn't let it go. He decided against erasing her mind; asking her to be quiet would have to suffice. _None of this would have happened if I had stayed with her at the training grounds,_ he thought. He could feel when this was about to happen, and he would then isolate himself until it stopped. It was just his luck that leader had called a meeting, preventing him from taking his medicine beforehand, and then she just had to end his genjutsu when he was down.

He was loosing his touch.

That wouldn't have happened back when he began training her. But then again, his condition wasn't so bad three years ago. But it didn't matter.

"…This was nothing. Don't worry about it." Curt, and to the point. His tone was final, and Tsuky understood questions on this matter were unwelcomed and would be shot down mercilessly. He hated showing weaknesses.

Tsuky kept silent, just like he wished, but he knew she wouldn't forget, and would be extra careful around him now. This couldn't be helped, but he had to prevent her from thinking about it any further.

"It took you longer than I thought it would to break out of the genjutsu. You need to practice."

Tsuky turned away from him. She knew exactly what he was trying to do, but she couldn't do a thing about it. He was such a private person; she'd known him for the past three years, and yet she knew next to nothing about him, while he knew everything about her. She sighed. Getting upset over this was useless, since he wouldn't open up to her no matter what. But he was sick, that much was obvious, and a thousand questions ran in her mind. When did it start? How serious is it? Does anyone else know about it? That last one was easier to answer: she figured she'd be the only one knowing about it, since she found out on her own. Maybe Kisame knew as well; after all, they'd been partners long before they even knew she existed. So, why not. She'd drop the subject for now, but she'd be sure to observe him after this. And, for now…

"Was it really necessary to start at five in the morning? Especially since you weren't even there to watch? And you could have told me what the point of this exercise was. I focused on hitting targets that weren't even there instead of fighting your genjutsu. It was just a waste of time. What was so much more interesting than training, anyway?"

So much for calm and non-threatening. The sarcasm was evident in her voice, and she winced at her disrespectful tone. She hadn't meant to talk like that, it just…happened. But hey, he was at fault here. She wouldn't back down, especially since she wasn't right very often when he was involved.

"…A ninja must always be aware of his surroundings. He must not let himself be distracted by anything. Had I told you this, you wouldn't have learned anything."

Correction: she was _never_ right when he was involved. And it was so damn frustrating.

Her cheeks burned in shame. _Of course he's right,_ she thought. _That night, when I left the Nowhara compound…I wasn't focused on my environment, and that's exactly what got me caught. That's one of the most elementary rules of shinobis, and I keep forgetting it…maybe I'm really not suited to be a shinobi, after all._ She avoided his eyes, and didn't say anything. It was in moments like these that she felt the strength she'd gained thanks to him was just a mask used to hide the weaknesses engraved in her soul. You can't unlearn a lifetime of insecurities in the span of a few months, but still…it hurt to be reminded that she wasn't as strong as any ninja of her age should be. She'd learned to be comfortable around Itachi, but that wasn't enough. Would it ever be?

She didn't know.

She felt two fingers under her chin, and her head was raised until her eyes met his, and she almost jumped, startled. While she was lost in her thoughts, he'd walked towards her until he was standing right before her, invading her personal space. Their noses were almost touching, and upon meeting his dark eyes, she noticed the hungry gaze was back, although it was tampered by something she recognised as…concern? It reminded her of the time he drew himself next to her on her notebook, when he'd told her his role as her sensei wasn't only to make her stronger physically, but also mentally. He was trying to, but it was hard.

"Don't belittle yourself over this, Tsuky. This is a common mistake among shinobis, and the genjutsu I set was also far too strong for you. I merely sought to keep you occupied during the meeting."

He gently pushed her hair back behind her ear, always keeping eye contact. Her self-esteem was low, very low. He had to be careful about what he said to her; he could break her if he wasn't careful. And if his eyes were to drop to her lips…he didn't think he'd able to restrain himself. He knew it wouldn't be unwelcomed, but he couldn't. She wasn't meant to be his, though he dearly wished she were. It hurt him to have to watch her, shoulders bare when he fought her, lips parted in exhaustion, fists closed tightly, eyes fierce and focused…how he wished she'd moan his name as she laid, breathless, beneath him; how she'd run her fingers over his back as he'd kiss her neck, lick her skin, bite her neck…marking her as his.

He inwardly shook himself, before letting go of her chin and taking a couple of steps back, until they were back at a respectable distance. He caught a glimpse of the longing in her eyes, before it was skilfully masked behind nonchalant interest. She realised nothing would happen between them unless he instigated it first.

"We are going to move soon."

Her attention snapped back towards him, stunned; she had been affiliated, in a way, to the Akatsuki for almost three years, and in all that time they had never moved, not even once. They hunted rogue-nin to earn money and worked as mercenaries for a few nations, like Cloud country, but that was all. From what she'd learned, members were pretty much free to do anything they wanted, as long as they kept a low profile and answered their leader's call. What had changed for them to be suddenly on the move?

She gasped.

Naruto had told her he'd be gone for three years…Akatsuki was on the move, and since the bijuus had to be captured within a certain timeline, then most likely…

"Naruto is back."

He gave a small nod. What she feared had started.

"Deidara and Sasori are going to Suna to capture the Ichibi's jinchuuriki. And you are going with them. Leader's orders." Tsuky gasped.

"What? I'm not ready! You can't possibly ask me t-" Two fingers landed on her lips, silencing her.

"Calm down. You won't be fighting, merely observing." The fingers left, and Tsuky missed their warmth. "Now come. They are waiting."

Once he saw she was calm once more, he led her towards the door. He knew she was nervous, because this would be her first experience out of her safety zone –and while she had no doubt Deidara would protect her if she needed it, Sasori most likely wouldn't give a damn. And Itachi wouldn't be there to protect her…

She was grateful for the warmth she suddenly felt on her lower back. He always knew what to do to reassure her, and right now she was grateful for it. It told her he believed in her. And if he believed in her…she'd prove him right.

 _I will go to Suna,_ she thought, _and I will be okay. I will defend myself, and I won't be weak. That's a promise._ _But…_ she paused.

 _Can I really harm innocent strangers in the name of an ideal I don't believe in...?_

XxxX

She'd never been to Suna before, but she was certain of one thing.

She'd never come back if she could help it.

Her blood was almost boiling from the intense heat, and though the straw hat protected her head, she couldn't say the same about the heavy black cloak on her shoulders. She was thankful for the fact that it didn't bore the red clouds, Akatsuki's emblem (she wasn't a full member, after all); but it wasn't helping her with the burning air of the never-ending desert. She didn't understand why they had to wear such heavy cloaks in the middle of a desert, when she knew there were cloaks less heavy, made for warm countries, just like Suna. She usually wasn't one to complain, but…

"Are we close?" she asked, for what felt like the hundredth time since they departed.

"No, we aren't. Now shut up or I'll make sure you never talk again." Sasori glared at her, through the wood of his puppet. She never quite got along with him.

"We'll reach the town by sunset," Deidara answered her. "Be a little more patient, hm."

She groaned. Sunset was almost three hours away. They couldn't use Deidara's bird to get closer because it was too easily seen, so they were stuck walking on the ground, and crossing the desert. Great. Sasori wasn't bothered by the sun, being inside his puppet and being a native of the land, and Deidara didn't seem to be suffering as much as her. Maybe he was used to it as well, since they came here many times in the past to prepare for today. So she swallowed her moans of agony, and kept walking with her eyes down. She never thought she'd ever hate the sun so much.

When the huge walls of Suna finally appeared, she couldn't have been more relieved. Deidara was pleasant company, but she was constantly reminded that her two companions where S-ranked criminal for a reason –both didn't care about other's lives, as long as they got what they wanted. And that philosophy went against everything she believed in. So, while she could enjoy talking with Deidara, he would never become her friend. A small voice in her head –that had always been with her, but had somehow become stronger and stronger over the months she spent under Itachi's care- whispered that she was being a hypocrite; she'd refuse Deidara, but not Itachi? They were the same.

A Suna shinobi met them at the entrance, but she didn't bother remembering his name. He was a spy of Sasori, betraying his village for a S-rank criminal. She hated deception with a passion, despite it being a part of the ninja's way of life, ever since her own mother hid from her the fact that she herself was a shinobi. Besides, if there was one thing she'd learned with these guys, it was that they never left witnesses. Once they were done here, she was certain the guy would be dead. He wouldn't be needed any longer.

The guy led them towards the first houses, walking through a narrow passage between the rocks. It took her everything she had not to react at the sight of about fifteen dead shinobis laying dead on the ground, having obviously been killed by their once comrade. It sickened her to see they had so little respect for life. _They're criminals, Tsuky. What were you expecting? Besides, isn't killing what every shinobi does –each believing it to be right, because they were ordered to by their own leader? Yes,_ she answered silently. _But this isn't the same. This…it's senseless killing. They didn't need to be sacrificed for this._

There was a small 'pop!' that distracted her from her thoughts, and a huge white clay bird appeared beside Deidara. Tsuky understood it was time. With a small wave, he told her he'd be back soon and advised her to catch some sleep; the blond bomber then jumped on the bird and took off, rolling his eyes at his partner who mumbled a 'don't be late' before settling against a rock, where they would wait for him. The bird slowly grew smaller and smaller, and Tsuky felt a twinge of anxiety in her heart. What was she doing, helping S-ranked criminal? This wasn't the side she wanted to fight on! …and yet she wasn't doing anything to stop them. She couldn't. She wasn't strong enough, and…she didn't want to leave Itachi. But when it will come to Naruto…she knows she will fight Itachi if she has to. She may be in love, but she wasn't blind. She'd never let her feelings prevent her from doing the right thing.

Even if it meant dying at the hands of her beloved.

Well, at least, she dearly hoped she would be able to.

Following Sasori's example, she rested her head on the rock behind her, and closed her eyes. The fight would be long. She should rest while she could. The sun finally set, throwing the sandy, burning desert in a shadowy, freezing sandy field.

"What the hell?" She mumbled, when the temperature dropped suddenly right after the last ray of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. "How can a place so hot during the day turn so cold at night?" She clutched her cloak closer to her body, trying to keep warm. She understood why the cloaks were so warm…

Sasori glanced at her.

"The desert is one of the most dangerous place in the world. People believe the sun and the sand to be the most dangerous, but they're wrong. The real danger is this huge drop of temperature at night. They believe it to be so warm, they don't protect themselves against the cold. And they freeze to death."

 _He said that with such detachment…he really doesn't care._

She managed to sleep during almost the whole fight. She didn't want to listen to the explosions, and the sound of the dying people in the village. She didn't want to hear it. _Coward_ , the voice whispered again. _You can't stop listening whenever it bothers you._ She ignored the voice, even though she knew she was right. But it would do her no good to listen.

XxxX

Deidara came back some time later, an unconscious red-head looking like a broken doll lying motionlessly on his bird; the jinchuuriki. Her two companions exchanged a few words (and blows; Sasori absolutely loathed waiting, and according to him, Deidara was too long), before finally leaving. Tsuky couldn't help but glance at the poor guy Deidara fought. The blond really did a number on him, even if he lost his left arm in the process. Knowing Deidara wouldn't appreciate her concern, she didn't comment. And apart from his arm, the blond looked just fine. If an Akastuki member could keep up with a _kage_ , of all people, then surely they were doomed from the start. No one could stand up to an organization with such powerful members. The thought depressed her. _Is there really hope for Naruto and the other jinchuurikis…? How can we stop them..?_

A huge explosion sounded somewhere far behind them, and Tsuky spun around, startled, only to see the walls crumbling on themselves, blocking the exit. Deidara commented on the shinobi falling prey to Sasori's trap and the puppet master offered an answer she didn't hear. She could only see the smoke rising from the walls, could only think about the lives that had been lost in that last explosion. _Those people…they don't care. Killing is a game for them. They're different from other shinobis. They don't kill because they have to…they kill because it's fun_. She clenched her fists so hard her nails pierced the skin, letting a few drops fall to the ground. She had half the mind to attack the two, or at least try to stop them, to help the jinchuuriki, to fight, _to just do a damn thing, instead of staying with them and pretending everything was alright._ But, once again, she couldn't. She was starting to grow tired of being so helpless.

When she finally turned around and ran to catch the two, however, she noticed something neither of them had. Sand was falling on the ground from the young man's body, and it was different than the one on the ground. _Someone could easily follow our tracks, without getting confused by the false ones Sasori created._ She grinned, knowing they couldn't see it, but was careful to erase it as soon as she caught up to them. Someone would find them, and rescue the jinchuuriki. Or, at least, she dearly hoped so.

The sun was rising when her wish came true, but not exactly in the way she'd hoped. Instead of the rescue squads she was waiting for, only a single man made it so far. A boy dressed in black clothes, and with purple paint on his face. He is no match for them, she thought. He will get killed if he fights.

The dark-clothed guy stopped a few meters away from them. He took a single glance at the red-head, then looked at the two Akatsuki members (She noticed he barely glanced at her; probably because there were no red clouds on her cloak, and her chakra levels were far weaker than her companions'). He looked like a calm, collected guy, so she was surprised when he suddenly raised his voice.

"I'll take Gaara back!"

 _Gaara? Must be the red-head's name. But he's not going to win. Sasori looks aggravated enough that someone managed to follow us. Besides, he's all alone…he must be close to this Gaara to follow him straight to the enemy, especially since he is outnumbered. He should have stayed hidden and left clues for the rescue team to follow…now he's going to die, and no one will know where we're heading._

 _Speaking of which, I don't know either. I guess they're going to extract the bijuu…_

Her thoughts were cut off by Sasori's voice.

"Deidara, go ahead."

He jumped and placed himself between Gaara the Suna shinobi. The guy frowned at seeing he wouldn't be able to save Gaara right away, but it did not stop him. Reaching for the huge scrolls on his back, he opened them on the ground. Tsuky recognised them as sealing scrolls, meaning he'd be summoning something to fight.

"I will show you…the power of my puppets!"

 _Puppets!? Doesn't that guy know just who he's facing!?_

He summoned three puppets, and she spotted Deidara's grin behind her, before he motioned for her to jump on the bird's back. Without looking back, she joined Deidara as the bird slowly started rising. Once she was stable, she looked back at the stranger. He wouldn't leave to see another day, that much she was certain of. Sasori couldn't be beaten when it came to puppets. She'd only seen the one he always hide in, Hiruko; the others had told her he had about a hundred more puppets at his disposal. It looked like that guy had only three. _Goodbye, nameless one,_ she thought. _I would have liked to be able to help you, but I can't. I hope your death will be painless…even though I highly doubt it will, seeing as Sasori has a tendency to use poisons…_

Deidara made a brief comment about Gaara's friends (There was no way she was calling him _the jinchuuriki_ ) before taking off, after being reprimanded by Sasori. At least now she knew his name. Kankuro. She would make sure to remember it.

The bird departed from the scene. Tsuky remained sitting on its back with Deidara on the front, watching sadly as they flew away from the scene. She guessed it wouldn't be long before Sasori caught up to them, but a small part of her wanted to hope the shinobi –Kankuro- would be alright. But she knew better.

A sandstorm was coming. The wind suddenly picked up after about an hour of travelling, and they settled on a small –very small- cave to wait for Sasori. And that's when Deidara decided to talk to her.

"You know, you're too soft for Akatsuki, hm."

She met his sky blue eyes that reminded her so much of Naruto –except his were much colder, more indifferent; the eyes of a criminal. She furrowed her brows; she hoped he hadn't noticed where her loyalty truly laid…

"What do you mean?" She asked, careful to keep her voice even. If he picked up on her anxiety…

Deidara turned to face her, his face void of any emotion.

"Akatsuki is a criminal organization. We care for nothing but the fulfilment of our goal. I've seen the way you looked at that boy –Kantaro, or something. You will never be a true member if you stay soft at heart. The Uchiha may be lenient with you…but I won't. You will have to fight, hm. And if you prove to be a burden, then I'll just have to take you out. I don't care what leader or your bastard of a sensei will say. In fact, I would greatly enjoy seeing the Uchiha pissed off, yeah."

Tsuky did not react. He didn't tell her anything she didn't already know. She wasn't sure if he would carry his threat out, though. She felt there was some kind of relationship between the two of them; not friendship, but…respect, maybe? In any case, she couldn't lose the respect he had for her. He respected her because she had managed to catch Itachi's attention, and because she was a girl he could stand (He hated Konan's guts. Tsuky still didn't understand why). As long as there was some sort of a bond between them, and as long as she didn't make him mad…she should be alright.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll try never to give you a reason to kill me, then."

Deidara smiled that creepy smile of his, before standing up and leaving the small opening.

"We have company. Stay inside, I'll take care of it."

She almost asked him if he could without the use of hi left arm, but refrained. Better stay unnoticed, or he could make her fight alongside him. There was no way she was killing Suna shinobis, especially since they were Konoha's allies. Doing so would ensure she could never go back…and she didn't even know if she would ever be able to, even if she did not kill anyone. She had joined Akatsuki, and that was quite the offense against all shinobi nations.

There was some sounds of kunais hitting kunais, some shouts, and then nothing. He must have taken care of it.

Sasori's aura grew stronger, and she realised he must have killed his opponent. She felt sad he didn't make it but, heeding Deidara's warning, she did not react to his sudden appearance. Nothing would stop them now. One battle had been lost; She could only hope the war would be won in the end.

XxX

The rest of the day was uneventful. They walked out of Suna and into the forest, where they came upon a huge cavern protected by a seal. Pein was standing in the middle, at least his hologram version. He did not pay attention to her, and for that she was grateful. Gaara was deposed on the ground, and the white bird disappeared. Then, the leader turned to her.

"Now you shall see how we extract the bijuus. Stay out of reach."

He did some hand signs, and a gigantic brown statue slowly emerged from the ground; Tsuky froze on the spot. It seemed to come out of her worst nightmare; it had some sort of a human-like appearance, with a head and two hands springing from the ground, chained together, but with its mouth wide opened and the nine closed eyelids, Tsuky didn't know what to think. _Monster_.That pretty much summed up the statue's horrible looks.

"Let's begin."

The hologram forms of each member appeared on the ten raised fingers of the statue. Deidara and Sasori threw their hats away and joined them; she took that as her clue to leave the ground, while a strong feeling of dread washed over her. She couldn't imagine for the life of her exactly what the statue was used for. She didn't want to know.

Standing above the shadowy figures, she kneeled on the ledge, carefully observing what they were doing. She spotted Itachi, who was watching her, before turning towards the lone figure of the reed-head lying motionless on the cold, unforgiving ground of the cavern. _He won't get out alive,_ she thought sorrowfully.

She couldn't imagine how painful it must be for him.

And not for the first time since she joined them, she wondered if Naruto really had a chance to survive.


	3. When the past is catching up

Lonely Souls

Today, after one last unsuccessful attempt at updating on the family computer, I resorted to trying on my own, the one I use for school (it's older than me, and I'm 18. I was desperate.) And, suprisingly, IT WORKED. I don't know why or how, and I definitely don't understand why a twenty-something computer could do something a brand-new one couldn't do, but I'm not complaining. Hopefully this will last.

Without further delay, here is chapter 3!

Chapter 3: When the past is catching up

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

 **Warning:** Um, Boring? I was obsessed with sticking to the Shippuden timeline, and as a result, this chapter pretty much only describes Sasori's fight with Sakura and Chiyo. But that should be the last time it happens, hopefully.

On another note, my holidays start at the end of the week –meaning I won't be updating for the next two weeks. Sorry!

One question I have trouble answering: how am I supposed to write "alright"? Or is it "all right"? I'm confused.

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this!

XxxX

Tsuky watched, helplessly, as Gaara's life was slowly sucked out of him. The extraction was worse than everything she'd imagined. Just seeing Gaara's face contort in unbearable pain was too much for her, and she wasn't the one with a bijuu being extracted. She clenched her fists, as silent tears of fury rolled down her face. _No goal, no matter how great, is worth such suffering. Especially if they didn't chose this. This…this isn't worth it! How can he even pretend he wants peace when he is inflicting such pain on others?! Who is he to decide such a cruel thing?!_ Her whole body was shaking with restrained anger, and she was grateful the Akatsuki members were too focused on the task at hand to notice the weeping kunoichi above them. Even if, for once, she wasn't weeping in helplessness.

 _I…I can't let this go on anymore. I must stop it. No matter the consequences. I need to get stronger so I can stop it. No matter the price I'll have to pay for this. As long as I can stop it…it doesn't matter if I have to forsake myself._

Three painful days went by. Three days whose peace was only disturbed by Gaara's occasional screams of pain. Three exhausting days for the Akatsuki, and three days she spent thinking, thinking about a way to get out of the mess she was caught in –a way to prevent the Akatsuki from winning, while never betraying everything she believed in. She'd eventually lost track of time, as no sunlight flittered inside the dark cavern. She slept when she was tired, and snacked on the food she kept in her cloak (mostly survival bars, which had no flavours whatsoever, but gave her exactly the amount of vitamins she needed. It didn't change the fact that the first time she bit on one, she nearly gagged because of the awful taste, and spent the next fifteen minutes desperately trying to rid her mouth of it, while thinking yuck, yuck, yuck).

In the end, the biggest problem came in the form of her feelings for Itachi. Not only her love; she could live with the idea that she would betray the object of her affections, because he was on the enemy's side, but he had saved her life, and thus lay the problem. She owed him; he had saved her from herself, from her fate, from the darkness; she didn't think she could ever repay him for what he did. And she couldn't bring herself to forget about that debt. She just couldn't. But she figured she'd have to, eventually. His goals and hers couldn't coexist –that is, if his goals were the same as the organization. And from what she'd seen, both from him and the other members, it wasn't the case.

Take Deidara, for instance. The only thing that truly mattered to him was being able to practice his 'art' with no restrain. He couldn't care less about world peace. The same went for Hidan, who wanted nothing more than worshipping Jashin, and Kakuzu, who only cared about money. None of them would sacrifice their hobbies for world peace, and she doubted Itachi was different. Many times in the past few months, she had caught him reading either philosophical essays, or scrolls with jutsus. Having the Sharingan, Itachi was bound to possess more techniques than most; and he was always thirsty for knowledge (She never quite forgave him from the copying her breath of ice; not that she really cared, but it was a secret jutsu of her clan, damnit!) and he would stop at nothing to obtain it, though he'd always remain polite and act as the well-mannered heir he was raised to be, unlike Kisame who'd just swing his monstrous sword around and kill whatever stood in his way (Samehada didn't like her. She'd find that out the hard way, when instead of ripping the skin on her arm apart, that stupid sword had _growled_ at her and tried to _bit_ her arm off; she still had the scars, and even Kisame had seemed surprised at his sword's reaction. Apparently, her chakra was too ' _pure'_ for the blood-thirsty sword. Well, get lost).

Sasuke had told her Itachi had killed their clan to test his abilities, and at the time she'd had whole-heartedly believed it; but now that she knew him, it didn't add up with his character. Itachi preferred to remain in solitude; ANBU had been the perfect job for him. And he was a free spirit; he obeyed leader's orders, but she'd noticed he had a greater freedom than anyone else _Maybe that's another reason why Deidara despises him so much_ , she thought. Maybe Itachi had been sick of having to obey his family, as the heir? She could relate to that. But what had spurned him to do this all of a sudden? He didn't have a sociopath's profile. He was never violent or vicious in a fight; he fought like a true shinobi, sneaking on his opponents, using genjutsus to confuse them, but she'd noticed he didn't usually used the Mangekyo in a fight. Too chakra-consuming, and not worth the result (True, it greatly weakened the enemy, and even killed him sometimes; but if he had to kill his opponent, then a well-placed fireball would do the trick, or any other genjutsu, since he didn't need hand signs to cast one).

So, why did he do it?

She hadn't been able to come up with an answer. And she wasn't comfortable enough with him to just ask the question–she doubted she would ever be. And there was also the problem of his illness; it had seemed pretty serious…but he'd clearly told her not to pry on the subject. And, as she thought about it, something else bothered her. When they first met…what was he doing so close to Konoha? He couldn't have been spying on Naruto, because he was already gone at the time. And the forest they had trained in wasn't close to the great walls surrounding the village. Had he stumbled upon her unknowingly? And what made him take her as his student? It couldn't only be because he thought it'd be a waste if he didn't. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't think she couldn't become an asset. And when he began training her…was he already thinking about making her join the Akatsuki?

Tsuky shook her head; it was useless wondering about it; she'd never know unless she asked him directly, and even if he answered her, what would it change? …Well, if he'd started training her for the sole purpose of strengthening the Akatsuki, she'd feel less guilty about betraying him, because it would mean he'd done it only in his own interest. _I guess it won't hurt to ask him. And it shouldn't anger him, so I think it's worth a shot._ Tsuky sat against the wall, and rested her head on the stone. The time was almost up, she could feel it; she'd need her strength for the next day, so she'd better rest now while she could.

She closed her eyes, and fell asleep in the darkness.

XxxX

She had finally succumbed to slumber.

Contrary to what she believed, he wasn't so focused on the extraction that he stopped paying attention to her.

In fact, he'd never let her out of his sight.

Itachi had witnessed the horror etched on her face when the extraction began, as well as the shaking of her hands and the tears on her face. He wasn't oblivious to it. But whereas she had been angry for the first few hours, she had spent the next in seemingly deep thought. So much that she didn't even hear it when Zetsu announced that Konoha nins were approaching, and for that he was grateful. He knew the leader had been watching her closely upon hearing this, and he mistook her lack of attention for indifference. He'd stopped looking at her then, and Itachi inwardly sighed with relief. What she had been thinking about, he had no idea; but he'd have to talk to her once it was over. If he could see her sadness and fury, so could the leader. She was lucky Pein's focus hadn't been on her at the beginning, unlike his. Because if he had, she would be dead. Pein wasn't as merciful as him when it came to her. And if he had decided to dispose of her…

Itachi didn't know what he'd have done.

The logical part of his mind told him she would be an unfortunate victim, and that he'd have to move on. But another, bigger part of him, the same one that had spared his brother…refused to let her die. And to hell with the consequences. She had been a broken child, one doomed from the start by the weight of a duty she was never meant to bear. A small, quiet bird, which had been forbidden to fly; somehow, she'd reminded him of himself, back when he was her age. He had been forced to follow his duty, but he'd chosen to do so; not her. He'd had to make a terrible choice, but he hadn't fought against it, unlike her. She had rebelled, and was being crushed under the weight of what she decided to do; their lives hadn't been affected in the same way. He'd seen the choice coming years before, even though he hadn't yet known what it would be. All he knew was that he wouldn't be able to keep his family and his village, for the two couldn't coexist.

But her…she had desperately tried to keep the two parts of herself together, the part that wanted to become a shinobi and the part that was faithful to Konoha. In the end, she'd chosen to follow him, but not to betray her village, at least in her heart. She held on to the bonds she had with the people of her childhood. She could never stay faithful to the Akatsuki –or to him. He'd always known it and yet a small, almost forgotten part of him was howling in agony at the knowledge that he'd never hold precedence over her friends –despite everything he'd done for her. Of course he knew the two of them would never be together. He wasn't meant to find happiness, and he did not deserve her, despite what she might think about it.

No one knew she had left the village willingly. All they knew was that someone had broken in the compound and killed the clan head –while severely injuring the heiress and abducting her. She wouldn't be labelled as a traitor (she couldn't be a missing-nin, since she wasn't supposed to be a ninja to begin with) and would be able to go back home.

But he'd have to wait until things had settled down, until her abilities as a shinobi were recognised by her friends –so they would convince Tsunade to instate her as a shinobi, preventing her from returning to the fate she had escaped with him. Once he was gone, there would be no one to protect her from the other members; it was of utmost importance that she was taken away from the Akatsuki while he was fighting Sasuke –and found by Konoha.

And this would only happen after his death.

He would protect her from the Akatsuki, and make sure she had a home to return to once everything was over. Because it was his duty.

As a Konoha Shinobi.

XxxX

The end came without warning whatsoever. One moment she was dozing off, staring into nothing, the next she was startled awake by a dull 'thud' -Gaara's body falling to the ground. The white mass surrounding his body had disappeared, retreating back into the statue's monstrous mouth. One eye gained a pupil, and Tsuky dreadfully realised that two eyes already had one; Gaara hadn't been the first jinchuuriki. But then… _When did they do it? Before I came? After? I never noticed anything…things are worst than I thought. Only five more before…Naruto…_

She was startled out of her musings when the walls of the cavern suddenly shook, as though something had collided with it from outside. She was shocked to learn some Shinobis had managed to find the cavern, and hope blossomed in her heart; only Deidara and Sasori were ready to fight, and they hadn't slept for three days and three nights. Surely they could be taken down now…? She felt harsh, cold eyes burning a hole through her head, but she didn't dare rising from her perching to meet her sensei's eyes. She knew what she'd see in his eyes. The intruders were Konoha shinobis, and a jinchuuriki was with them…which means…

Naruto.

She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to fight alongside Konoha, against either Deidara or Sasori. Itachi's glare told her she'd better stay quiet, and that the consequences of disobeying would be terrible –for her. The Akatsuki couldn't care less if Konoha knew of her affiliation to the Akatsuki, but Itachi…Itachi apparently didn't want her to end up questioning her loyalties, something she had already started to do since the very beginning. But he didn't know that…right? He'd have done something otherwise…he wouldn't have allowed her to leave with Deidara and Sasori if he doubted her. But then again, it had been leader's orders, and his words were law. Maybe he'd been only suspicious, and today confirmed it? She couldn't know. She guessed she'd see once they were back at the hideout. _That is,_ she thought, _if I survive this encounter, physically and mentally. There's no telling how Naruto will react once he sees me…on the same side as his worse enemies._

The members started disappearing one by one, but not before Sasori turned towards Itachi, asking him about the jinchuuriki. Despite herself, Tsuky listened closely. She hadn't seen Naruto in the past three years…how much stronger has he become? _He's probably taller now…I wonder if he still dress in bright, orange clothes? And is he still as childish? I hope he grew up…he can't face the Akatsuki the way he was three years ago. Brash, impatient, hot-tempered…_

"Tell him, Itachi."

She had spaced out again, but she had missed nothing. Itachi seemed reluctant to share information on Naruto…why? Was it because he was supposed to capture him? Was it a matter of pride? But Itachi did not think in terms of pride. He thought about the most efficient way to do a task, and since right now, he wasn't the best suited for the job…he shouldn't be so reserved. He fought him a few hours ago, so it couldn't be that he didn't know what to say. So, why? He never did anything without purpose. So he was voluntarily withholding information…the question remained why he was so uncooperative.

"Tsuky."

She met his eyes; he'd said something about Naruto being loud to Sasori, but nothing more. And he'd pointedly ignored Deidara's angry remark in favour of addressing her. One more thing that didn't add up.

"Remain concealed. Don't engage in a fight."

His gaze remained on her, burning, daring her to disobey. She knew she'd definitely be in for it once they returned to the hideout if she didn't follow his orders. She wanted to talk to Naruto…to ask him how he was, what he'd learned, what he'd become…Itachi's form disappeared, and Tsuky inwardly sighed with relief. His presence was…overwhelming, to say the least. There was no doubt in her mind that he suspected her of still harbouring feelings for Konoha. And he was right, of course. He was never wrong.

The huge rock blocking the entrance exploded, and debris flew everywhere. She felt three familiar chakras enter the cavern, and her heart wrenched painfully in her chest; the remaining members of team seven, plus an old woman she didn't know, entered the dark place. She swallowed hard and dared edging closer to them, still concealed by the shadow of the walls above them, and carefully keeping her chakra masked. She couldn't afford to be seen, no matter how hard she wanted to run to her old friends below. _Kakashi doesn't seem to have changed, but Naruto's grown so much… he is taller… and he seems…more mature. I just hope they will be able to defeat them…_

She kept her eyes on Naruto. If he ended up on the verge of being taken…she'd interfere. She couldn't watch as he was defeated –and condemned to the same fate than Gaara.

However, it didn't look like they were about to engage in battle anytime soon. Tsuky sweat dropped as Deidara and Sasori started to fight on their favourite subject –art. _Here we go again,_ she thought. _When they start…it's useless to try to make them stop._

However, it didn't last long as Naruto suddenly threw a _fuuma shuriken_ –a weapon she'd never managed to master. Starting from this, everything happened so quickly –she barely managed to follow. For all of a sudden, Deidara created another of his explosive bird –and departed with Gaara's body, Naruto close behind. Kakashi followed them, while the two kunoichis remained behind. Tsuky hesitated.

 _Do I follow Naruto? Do I stay? Sasori will see it if I leave. Even if I stay cloaked…Sakura and that old woman might think I am an enemy, and prevent me from leaving. And even if they don't…I'd be disobeying Itachi's orders, and revealing myself. But if Naruto is injured…What to do? Kakashi is with him…I guess I'll have to trust they will be alright, both of them._

She shifted in her spot, and focused back on the fight underneath. She had to stay on guard. She wasn't safe from a stray kunai, or from Sasori's puppets. If she was in his way…he wouldn't have any qualms about killing her.

The old woman –Chiyo- threw some kunais at him, and managed to pierce his cloak, leading Sasori to discard it, and she saw the puppet underneath. _Hiruko_ , she distantly recalled. She'd seen Sasori practice a few times, but she'd never seen what was Sasori's real body. _Maybe I'll see it, this time. That woman looks like she knows him… As for Sakura, I don't know how much stronger she got over the years. She became Tsunade's apprentice, but I've never seen her fight… I certainly hope she toughened up, because if she didn't…she'll really become another of Sasori's puppets._

The two kunoichis discussed their strategy for a while –before charging at him. Thousands of small needles flew from Hiruko's mouth towards them at a great speed –and Tsuky marvelled at the nimbleness the two kunoichis showed. They avoided them almost effortlessly, and when they dodged even Sasori's left arm –Tsuky felt hope blossoming in her heart. If they could keep up with him so easily… _Go on, both of you. Keep this up and you'll defeat him, and then..!_

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. What, then…? What would happen to her if they won…? If Sasori was killed…? There would be no one but Deidara to keep an eye on her –and he wouldn't expect her to run. He wouldn't be actively looking for her –maybe she could even leave with Konoha…?

 ** _Don't be stupid,_** a small, infuriating voice snarled in her head. **_Even if both Deidara and Sasori were to die, Itachi would still come for you. He's probably already on his way; after all, he doesn't believe in your so-called loyalty to the Akatsuki. No matter what the result of these fights is…you'll be going back to the Akatsuki hideout tonight –so you'd better heed Itachi's warning._**

 _Yes, but what if he was too late? What if the battles came to an end before he can reach me?_

 ** _You have no way of knowing it. Are you really willing to risk Itachi's wrath –for something that could pretty well turn against you?_**

 _I…I…_

 ** _You are not ready. Wait for a better opening._**

 _I won't be able to wait forever. Sooner or later…we will have to act._

 ** _And we will be prepared._**

The voice in her head quieted down, and she focused back on the fight –only to witness Hiruko being shattered in a thousand pieces by Sakura's merciless fists. Tsuky blinked, impressed. She'd known Sakura had been training under Tsunade…but she hadn't expected the raw strength of her small fists, or the sheer display of destructive power. She realised with a start that, somewhere during the almost three years since Naruto's departure, the frail, weak little fangirl that Sakura used to be had disappeared, replaced by this strong young woman. She had matured into a fine kunoichi who was no longer blinded by her feelings –well, they still ruled her way of fighting- but they were no longer hindering her. Rather, they were what fuelled her strength, and allowed her, much like Naruto, to never give up. She didn't know how her feelings for Sasuke had evolved, though. Maybe she was acting this way because he wasn't anywhere near them –maybe she was still weak at heart for him. But now was not the time to judge.

Sasori appeared to be a young red-head man –much like the one he'd just killed. _He's so young…I expected him to be older._

He summoned another puppet –and Tsuky immediately tensed and readied herself. The Third Kazekage…even as a puppet, he was probably very dangerous and could probably do tremendous damages to the kunoichis –and the cavern. She couldn't let her thoughts distract her.

Sakura was attacked by a thousand arms, coming from the wooden puppet –but managed not to sustain any injuries thanks to Chiyo's accurate control of her body. But a huge, purple cloud of poison shot out from the puppet –and Sakura got caught inside. Her heart pounded against her chest. Was Sakura okay? Did she inhale the poison? If she did, then it was over. As skilled as Chiyo was, she couldn't fight Sasori alone and win. She briefly wondered why Sasori used a purple cloud, instead of a colourless one. It would be much harder to dodge –since you wouldn't be able to know where it was. And Sasori was definitely skilled enough when it came to poisons to create one. So, why?

 _Tch. He's probably just overconfident in his abilities. Arrogant bastard._

Sakura remained trapped in the poisonous cloud –and had been for a long time, now.

 _Are you alright, Sakura…?_

Chiyo apparently couldn't get Sakura out, because of the ropes she was trapped in. The Kazekage threw even more poison, and Chiyo rushed to help Sakura, when there was a sudden explosion from inside the cloud. It was blown away, and Sakura was sent flying towards Chiyo. She had some burnt marks on her body, a sure sign that she had used an explosive tag to dispel the cloud. But used at such a short distance, it had evidently left her injured, but she stood back up, determination shining brightly in her eyes as she delivered her speech.

 _So she's still after Sasuke, huh…_

She was rudely interrupted by Sasori's attack. Kunais flew towards the two women, and Sakura was obviously still too shaken up to dodge. She wouldn't move in time, and Tsuky felt her heart lodged in her throat.

 _I don't know what you're capable of, old woman,_ she thought furiously, _but if you have some tricks up your sleeves, it would be about time to use them!_

There was a brief cloud of smoke when the deadly weapons collided with something –and then Chiyo's voice rang out loud and clear in the cavern.

"Men should listen with more attention when women are talking to them."

Tsuky felt a surge of deep satisfaction, and allowed a grin to appear on her face. _Way to go, Chiyo-baa! Show that chauvinist pig who's the best!_

Two puppets had appeared by her side, and a fierce battle ensued between the three summoned puppets –and quite rapidly, too. The two puppeteer were moving with equal speed, and their puppets seemed to be almost dancing with each other –their weapons clashing with one another with loud, resounding metallic sounds. It lasted no more than a few minutes, during which none of the puppets managed to take the upper hand. That is, until Sasori's puppet used a strange technique, and magnetic sand flew out of its mouth. In the blink of an eye, Chiyo's two puppets were rendered useless by the sand coursing inside their bodies –as well as Chiyo's right arm, which turned out to be made of wood. Tsuky felt like she going to die of cardiac arrest if they kept surprising her like that. Her emotions ran wild inside of her. It looked like Chiyo had no more puppets –and had lost all hope. It became obvious in the way she kept asking Sakura to run. Tsuky's shoulders dropped.

 _So, it's over. They can't defeat him. They're both going to die, and-_

"Use me, please."

 _What?_

 _That Sakura…she isn't seriously considering letting Chiyo use her as if she was a-_

 _My god she is._

She watched as five small chakra tendrils joined Chiyo's fingers to Sakura. As soon as they were connected, Sakura ran towards Sasori, chakra gathered in an angry fist; she missed him, however, and the whole cavern shook with the strength of that punch. Tsuky almost lost her balance, and she thought then that the fight was about to get serious now. She gathered chakra on her hands and feet to anchor herself to the walls. With Sasori throwing his huge pieces of metallic sand around, the cavern was bound to crumble sooner or later. And then… _I'll have nowhere to hide. I need to take advantage of the smoke created by his momentum to get outside. If I stay here any longer…they will see me._

Unbeknownst to her, however, she had already been seen. The old woman felt the chakra she used to keep her balance, and she glanced at her from the corner of her eyes. _That person was here since the beginning…Is he with the Akatsuki? Sasori would never accept help in a fight, so I think it's safe to assume that guy won't participate. But, we'd better stay on guard._

Sakura punched away yet another block of dark sand, and this one dealt massive damages to the cavern's roof. Tsuky tensed as smoke filled the place for a few precious seconds. _Now!_

She jumped and went through the large opening, which allowed sunlight to flutter inside. She ran on the roof before somersaulting and landing outside on the grass that hid the cavern below. She immediately retreated further away from the hole, searching for chakra signatures all around. _The only ones I feel are far away. I'm safe for now._

She jumped on a tree, and sat down on a branch. She couldn't stay close to the battlefield now that she wasn't hidden anymore, or they would see her. And she had to watch out for Kakashi and Naruto, too.

Several explosions sounded below, but she didn't dare coming any closer. _What's happening…?_

She yelped as a powerful shot of water pierced the earth right below her feet.

 _The hell!? That was one powerful jutsu! I didn't know Sasori used water. Was it one of his puppets? Or his chakra?_

Everything became quiet suddenly, and Tsuky thought it was over. Tentatively, she edged closer to the silent battlefield. _Who won…? Sasori…? Or the two kunoichis…?_

She peered over the edge, careful to remain cloaked in the shadows.

But what she saw made her freeze in terror. Puppets were everywhere, almost covering the whole area. Most of them were dressed in red –while very few were in white, most likely Chiyo's puppets.

She retreated, but not by much. The fight wasn't over yet, though it was coming to an end, so she still needed to be careful. She couldn't afford to slip now.

Each part launched their final attacks. Red clashed against white, and weapons flew everywhere. Each puppet showed real uncanny abilities; the white puppets and Sakura kept destroying the red ones, but there were too many of them. They were wining every battle, but were slowly losing the war. That is, until Sakura suddenly ran forward from Chiyo's side to the other side of the battlefield and threw something at Sasori. It turned out to be a seal of some sort –she was too far to see clearly.

The end came right after this, and the battlefield became silent once more, though Sasori surprised them once more. Tsuky choked upon witnessing Sakura getting stabbed. She knew it was over, even if Chiyo managed to stab him too. Sakura wouldn't survive this, and neither would Sasori.

 _Sakura…I wanted to be free…but not at the price of your life. I…How is Naruto going to react…? You…you are his sun, Sakura. He won't be able to live on if yet another member of team seven disappears._

But thankfully, Chiyo managed to heal Sakura, and Tsuky sighed with relief, before realising she was far from safe. _One down. How many more to go?_ She thought grimly. _Deidara's still fighting somewhere, and Itachi's probably coming too. How long until they both arrive, and I have to go back to the Akatsuki hideout?_

The battle had lasted maybe two hours. She didn't know where Itachi had been during the sealing process –but he couldn't have been too far away, meaning he'd make an appearance soon. She had to make a choice now.

 _Do I take the risk of revealing myself to Sakura, or do I wait for Itachi? None of them are fit for a battle. But if Itachi doesn't come before a while…this will be a waste. I should try to escape while I could…but would Itachi really let it go? Or would he try to drag me back?_

The answer was obvious, but Tsuky didn't have to make a decision. The two kunoichis below must have realised their comrades were still fighting, and were now hurrying to them, disappearing from her view. _Well,_ she thought. _Now I know what to do._

Once the two kunoichis' chakra had completely disappeared, Tsuky went to Sasori's motionless body. Puppets parts littered the ground everywhere, and she mumbled a quiet prayer for the unfortunate souls that had become Sasori's puppets –for finally, after twenty years of quiet agony, they were allowed to rest, at least. The Akatsuki had lost one of its members, something that hadn't happened since –had never happened since they started wearing the red cloud; Orochimaru didn't count, besides, he was still alive. She wondered if this would be a one-time thing, or if Konoha was well on its way to destroy the organization. She could only wish they were.

Knowing she wasn't in a safe environment, she left the cavern (ex-cavern was more like it: ceiling and entrance had both been destroyed, so it looked like a hole in a small cliff. She wondered how it would look like in a few years). Deidara or Itachi, whoever it was, would be picking up on her chakra signature, and they would leave. Stupid as it was, she couldn't find the hideout on her own; she always had a strange sense of directions, even back in Konoha, she'd end up lost within the compound itself, despite having always lived inside.

She came upon a grassy field, far enough from the cavern, and decided to wait here. Hopefully they wouldn't be long.

However, she was so focused on searching for Deidara's or Itachi's chakra signatures, that she completely missed the appearance of several others, familiar and yet foreign. Her blood ran cold when a voice she knew all too well, slightly deeper than she remembered, called her.

"…Tsuky-chan…?"

Dark blue eyes met light blue. Tsuky could only think one thing.

 _God, I'm so screwed._

 _XxxX_

 _...Leave a review? I didn't forget you during all this time, I just kept trying unsuccessfully to update this. And also writing the following chapters. So, just one, tiny little review? Pretty please?_


	4. Desperate Reasoning

I'M SO SORRY!

I put chapter 4 before chapter 5!

Thank you Razhenshia for making me notice, that was unintentional. What you were expecting is right here, sorry!

So, I hope not many people read chapter 5 before chapter 4. It doesn't really matter, but still.

Now...enjoy the (real) chapter 4!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

She couldn't move.

Her whole body had frozen over, and her muscles remained tense. She didn't know what to do. On one hand, she had decided not to try and speak with the Konoha nins, because she wasn't ready and Itachi was coming. But on the other hand…There were both team Gai and team 7 -minus Sasuke. Would they be strong enough to take him out? Did she even want them to take him out? The question was dismissed as soon as it came. She didn't want Itachi to die. She wanted to go back to Konoha…but everything depended on whether they would label her a missing-nin or not. Because, although she still considered Konoha as her home…she wouldn't be able to come back if they called her a traitor to her country. Which, she thought with a wince, she was. She had left the village willingly with a S-ranked criminal, after all. She didn't think they would take her back so readily.

She was abruptly brought out of her thoughts when two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist –and her sight was filled with sunny, blond hair.

"I knew you weren't dead! They said they found so much of your blood in that underground room that you couldn't have survived –but they were wrong! You're here now, Tsuky-chan! You're here! But…" He released her and grasped her shoulders in a tight, friendly grip, keeping her at arms' length, "…what are you doing here…?"

Her heart broke at the sight of his wide, cerulean eyes, so trustful and just so innocent, despite everything he was put through. Even if she told him…he wouldn't believe her. For him…she had remained the innocent, kind girl he'd always seen her as, a girl who'd never hurt anyone, who was always doing her best not to be a burden. And yet…here she was. At least she wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak. That was a relief to her.

"…Naruto…" She started, but didn't know how to finish. If she spilled the story –she'd become a traitor, no questions asked. Maybe Naruto would try to protect her –because he would know she'd never try to harm Konoha- but the others…

"You managed to become a ninja, didn't you, Tsuky-chan…?" He completely missed the way everyone else stiffened at his words. His eyes had softened, and for the first time since she saw him again –she glimpsed the sadness in his eyes. _That's right,_ she thought. _Gaara and him…they were friends. His death…his death must have hit him hard, and –and I'm partly responsible. I didn't do anything._ She blinked back tears as she looked into his eyes.

"Naruto…Gaara, he…I'm sorry." He didn't say anything, but he hugged her again. She was so tempted to just let go…to beg them to take her away from the Akatsuki –but it couldn't happen. Not now, not ever. She didn't try to push him away, though. She didn't have the strength to. But she stiffened when Chiyo spoke suddenly.

"…You were inside the cavern, watching our fight with Sasori. You have been there since the very beginning…which means you were there during the extraction _–with the Akatsuki._ "

Naruto froze in turn, before turning angrily towards the old woman.

"What are you saying, baa-chan!? This is Tsuky-chan! She'd never join the Akatsuki! Right, Tsuky…chan…?" He'd slowed down towards the end of his outburst. Tsuky's gaze had shifted away, looking at the ground; that was an answer in and of itself. Naruto watched her in disbelief.

"Tsuky-chan…"

"A lot has happened, Naruto." Her voice didn't shook. She needed him to know her true feelings. She couldn't bear it if him, of all people, were to look at her with nothing but hurt and betrayal in his eyes. But she couldn't tell him –them- everything. She didn't have the strength to. She raised her head and locked eyes with him, desperate to make him understand her.

"No matter what happens, Naruto…I will never bring harm to you –or Konoha. Things have become…complicated. I can't explain exactly how or why, but somehow I…I got involved in a _huge_ mess, a mess I can't get out of. Please, trust me. I know things aren't exactly in my favour, but…you really need to trust me on this, Naruto. _Please_." Her voice shook at the end, but she didn't cry. Everyone else was still watching quietly –Chiyo with suspicion, Sakura with confusion, and Kakashi with…dawning understanding?

"Tsuky," he started, "You-"

He didn't finish. A kunai suddenly shot out from seemingly nowhere, straight at Naruto's arms on her shoulders –forcing the two to spring apart from each other. While Naruto skidded a few meters back, right by Kakashi's side, Tsuky was snatched mid-air by a dark-haired figure wearing the Akatsuki cloak.

"We are leaving." The figure hissed darkly in her ear, and Tsuky's eyes widened upon recognising the voice –and what was about to happen. She met Naruto's shocked eyes, before there was a sharp pain on her neck –and everything turned black.

Uchiha Itachi caught the unconscious girl bridal style, and before anyone could react, he vanished in the forest behind. Naruto immediately ran after him.

"GIVE HER BACK, YOU ASSHOLE! YOU TOOK GAARA, BUT YOU WON'T TAKE HER!"

However, he wasn't in any state to give pursuit. He collapsed not too long before the edge of the forest, and Kakashi supported him.

"Let them go, Naruto. She isn't in danger." Naruto was seething.

"He took her, Kakashi-sensei! I can't just stand back and watch as he ruins her life, like he did with Sasuke!"

"Look underneath the underneath, Naruto." Kakashi admonished. "The kunai was aimed at you, not her. Or, more accurately, at your arms on her shoulders. He wasn't trying to hurt her. And what Chiyo-san said is true as well; I know you don't want to believe it, but it's obvious Tsuky has some links with the Akatsuki. Although what kind of links, I have no idea…she wasn't exactly willing to leave, and she wasn't wearing the cloak…and she didn't seem that surprised to see him."

Naruto fell silent after this.

"She asked me to trust her, and she swore she wouldn't harm Konoha…what do you think is happening with her, Kakashi-sensei?!" Kakashi shook his head.

"She has some freedom among the organization, so she isn't a prisoner, yet it's obvious she doesn't share the Akatsuki's goals… I don't know for sure, but if I were to hazard a thought…I would say they offered her something she couldn't refuse, something that forced her to deny her affiliation with Konoha. But whatever they offered her…her loyalty still lies with the Leaf."

Naruto remained quiet for a while. She had begged him to trust her. He couldn't help but notice how much she had changed since the last time he'd seen her; she'd been quiet, always lost in thoughts, always hiding her sadness behind a smile. But today…she hadn't been masking anything. He'd seen it all; shock, anguish, relief, happiness, worry, fear, longing. She'd never been this open with anyone –except maybe with Sasuke, but he hadn't witnessed the two interacting often. Both had been very secretive with their relationship; they'd always remained hidden away from prying eyes. Their business was no one else's but theirs to know.

Defeated, Naruto followed the others towards Gaara's body. Despite what Kakashi said, he wanted to go and recue her, consequences be damned…but he knew he wasn't strong enough to take on Uchiha Itachi and win. And besides, it would be better if they knew exactly what was happening. Tsuky had talked about a huge mess –something was going on, something definitely not good. Once they returned to Konoha…he'd ask Ibiki about what he knew. He was –is the one doing the investigation. He was bound to know all the details, and would be able to shed some light about the situation.

 _Just wait a bit longer, Tsuky-chan,_ Naruto thought. _I'll save you from them. I'll bring both you and Sasuke back to Konoha, and he'll be able to heal by our side. Just wait._

Far away from here, a dark-haired man appeared on a huge clay bird, led by a blond, blue-eyed man. A shark-man followed, a huge, satisfied grin resting carelessly on his face –seemingly oblivious to his partner's fury. Deidara knew better than anyone not to push the Uchiha's buttons –having been on the receiving hand of his anger more than once already. Because, despite appearing completely emotionless, the Uchiha did have emotions. Or, rather, he had a temper. A nasty, short temper. Although it was only noticeable in the way he'd start a spar with the person responsible –and proceed to pummel them to the ground, all the while sporting a sadistic smirk on his flawless face. No, Deidara wouldn't risk asking the Uchiha for the cause of his fury –no doubt it had to do with the unconscious girl in his arms- seeing as they were more than a hundred feet above ground. Kisame didn't share his restrictions.

"She almost ran back with the Konoha nins. You will have to be careful, Itachi-san. Leader will have no qualms about killing her if he suspects her to be disloyal."

Itachi tensed minutely, before carefully setting the kunoichi down. Of course, the gentleness of his actions contrasting sharply with the stiffness of his shoulders didn't go unnoticed by the other occupants of the bird. It only prompted Kisame to keep taunting the Uchiha. Besides, Kisame decided, it wasn't everyday you could have fun at Itachi's expense, so whatever was thrown at him in retaliation would definitely be worth it. However, now that his hands were free, it would be better not to talk to him directly. Falling from the bird would be so easy…

"You should have seen it, Deidara," Kisame drawled, carefully monitoring the Uchiha's reactions. Seeing none, he kept going. "The blond brat had his hands all over her, acting like a worried spouse! He actually hugged her and caressed her cheek, whispering sweet nothings in her ears, as though he owed her all, and she was so flustered, looking all hot and bothered and just so fuc-"

 _"_ _Kisame."_

The shark winced, before meeting his partner's bloody eyes. He knew he was in for it once they got back. But, he thought amusedly, seeing the Uchiha so troubled was definitely worth it. Said Uchiha abruptly turned away from them, said something about checking if the Konoha nins weren't following, even though they all knew they weren't, and jumped from the bird, landing on a tall tree, before descending on the ground where he proceeded to promptly disappear. Deidara and Kisame exchanged a glance.

"He's fallen for her, yeah."

"Never thought I'd see the day."

Deidara gazed at Tsuky's motionless form, breathing softly. His face took on a pensive expression.

"Do you think she returns his feelings…yeah?" Kisame shook his head.

"I don't know. She hides it well, but she's scared of him. Because her loyalty lies with Konoha…and he's the only one preventing her from going back."

"Leader would never let her go." He didn't understand Kisame's reasoning. "And isn't she a missing-nin for Konoha? She left willingly with a S-ranked criminal."

"Leader wouldn't care. She's too weak to pose a real threat. And if she were to run…I wouldn't hunt her down, and I don't think you would, either." Deidara looked away, a barely noticeable tinge of pink on his cheeks. "As for Konoha, they don't know exactly what happened. No one witnessed her leaving with Itachi, so for all we know…they just labelled her as missing. Besides, she doesn't have a shinobi status. Although after today, I don't know what's going to happen. They saw enough to know she has shinobi training. And she was with us…most likely, any chances she had of going back to Konoha has been completely blown up."

"And yet her loyalty remains…" Deidara was thoughtful. "I don't get her. She was basically chased away, but she still fights for them? There's more you're not telling me." Deidara accused, eyes narrowing. "So, spill. Exactly what made her follow Itachi, without leaving her village behind?" Kisame shrugged.

"You'll have to ask Itachi for that. She never opened up to me, so I don't know the reasons she had for doing what she did."

Deidara fell silent, and resumed watching the scenery beneath his bird. He wasn't used to feeling worried for someone. He wasn't used to _care_ for someone beside himself. But he couldn't help it. From the first time she'd opened her eyes, and looked at him with those deep, blue orbs of her, Deidara found himself completely captured within their depths. He didn't love her; that much he was certain of. She was…almost like a sister, despite the fact that he didn't know her all too well, thanks to one jealous Uchiha who kept her all to himself. The threat he gave her on the way to the cave…he was worried about her. If Kisame and he noticed her true feelings…Leader could. And while he wouldn't bother chasing her if he left…he wouldn't tolerate a traitor in his ranks. Someone had to keep her on edge, so she wouldn't do any more mistakes. She couldn't afford to get caught.

Tsuky suddenly stirred, and opened her eyes, blinking as the sun blinded her. She slowly sat up; the tenseness in her shoulders was obvious. She obviously remembered exactly what had happened with the Konoha nins…and Itachi's burning fury, directed at her. She was probably expecting him to punish her anytime soon.

"He's not on the bird, kid. Relax."

Tsuky glanced at Kisame, before sighing heavily. She drew her knees to her chest and gazed at him.

"…I'm in deep, deep trouble, aren't I…?" Kisame sported a huge grin.

"More than you know."

Tsuky avoided her eyes, and resumed watching the ground, wishing they'd leave her alone. But Kisame was too curious, and Deidara was slightly angry, though it was nowhere near Itachi's anger.

"Why did you disobey his orders, yeah? Konoha wasn't supposed to see you. Now they'll be after you." Deidara was looking at her, his eyes disappointed. She couldn't look at him. Not when that look in his eyes made her feel so worthless and unwanted. But they were waiting for an explanation, and she owed them one. If only to practice for Itachi later, although she doubted he'd let her explain herself. Even if it wasn't exactly her fault.

"…The Suna elder knew I was there all along. It was just a matter of time before I was discovered. As for the Konoha nins…" She winced. That part was her fault. "I got distracted and didn't feel them until it was too late. I couldn't have avoided them."

Deidara shook his head and mumbled something about getting distracted on the battlefield, but Kisame was shaking his head.

"You told them you wouldn't harm Konoha. That you didn't want to be where you are…while being discovered was a mistake, this was deliberate." Tsuky had become deathly pale.

"Just…just how long were you listening, Itachi and you...?" Kisame had an almost apologetic smile.

"Since the very beginning. Itachi wanted to see how you would handle it. And he was furious."

Tsuky's shoulders slumped. He'd heard it all. There would be hell to pay once they got back.

Everyone on the bird fell silent, as the base came into view, and the bird slowly landed on the ground. Kisame and Deidara went to make their report, and she decided to stay in the training ground, waiting for her impending doom. Itachi had yet to return, but once he did, she had no doubt he would seek her out. She'd better use that small respite to prepare herself.

She'd need it.

As she waited for him, she was suddenly hit with the need to draw again. She had not touched her notebook since she came here –she missed the feeling of having a pen between her fingers, missed the freedom she felt whenever she could paint her soul on paper. It would do her good to settle her nerves before the imminent beating.

She quickly returned to her room and retrieved her bag, before sitting against a tree. She remained unmoving for a moment, pen hovering over her open notebook, before finally letting the tip touching the sheet. Lines appeared everywhere, moving, criss-crossing, bringing familiar faces to life –faces that had grown, and yet remained the same. Faces she had grown accustomed to seeing, faces that had been both the happiest part of her childhood –and the darkest.

There, the only ninjas from Konoha she knew, the ninjas who had been a part of her childhood, were drawn.

Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Neji, Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino…And Sasuke.

She drew him with the jounin vest. She didn't know what he looked like now, she could only imagine. He'd keep his dark-blue, wide collared shirt beneath the green vest, with the standard black shinobi pants. His hair would still rise on the back of his head –but it would be longer, with bangs still framing his face. In her drawing, he was sporting his signature smirk, hands in his pockets, looking as proud as ever. Naruto was grinning at him in return, eyes wide open, reflecting all the happiness in the world. Ino and Sakura were arguing in the background, while Shikamaru was sleeping next to them. Kakashi was up in a tree on the right side, above Shino, reading that strange orange book he'd never let her see, except he was looking forward, right hand up in the air, eye closed but obviously smiling. Hinata was pocking her fingers together on Naruto's side, shyly looking at him, with Neji next to her, looking as calm as ever, but softly watching her with protective eyes.

She had yet to put any colour, but it looked good.

She smiled softly, before closing her notebook and putting it back in her back. She couldn't let Itachi find it. She hid her bag beneath the tree roots, and stood up. Itachi wouldn't be much longer, now. But she felt calm enough to face him, though she couldn't deny the fact that her stomach felt like lead. _Whatever punishment I will have to face…I will take it._

XxxX

On the Hokage Tower, in Tsunade's office, the blonde was sorting through yet another mountain of paperwork, when Morino Ibiki opened the door and strode into the room, a stack of paper in his arms. He bowed to the tall woman, before deposing the pile on her desk. Tsunade eyed the pile blankly, before meeting the hard stare of the fearsome leader of the Torture & Interrogation unit.

"… This is the result of the investigation, Ibiki?" Said man nodded.

"Most of the blood in the room was confirmed to be Nowhara Tsuky's. We found another room, which contained several torture devices not too far away, and since a lot of blood was on the chains, we deduced that Nowhara Tsuky has most likely been tortured in here. Why, we don't know. The clan council members said the room has been built during the second shinobi war, but has never been used since its end. It seems only Ayano had access to that room. The kunai with Tsuky's blood only had traces of Ayano's chakra on it, which means she was the one to torture her. "

Tsunade scowled. She'd barely known the woman, but what kind of mother would torture her own child? Only the Hokage had the rights to allow the torture of a citizen, and it could only be done on prisoners, by the Torture & Interrogation unit, led by Ibiki. As for the mobile, the clan members had to know something, but they were known to be especially tight-lipped about anything that concerned the clan. If they knew something, they wouldn't tell. Or, rather, it was very possible something shady had been going on, and most of the clan had been completely unaware of it. However, the clan council must have known.

"She couldn't have done it alone, Ibiki. Other people must know about it. Like their council."

"They remained mute on the matter. Something about how it is a clan matter, and so the Hokage shouldn't be involved." A vein popped on Tsunade's forehead.

"We're talking about the murder of a clan head and the disappearance of an heiress, goddamnit! The Hokage _is_ involved, whether they like it or not! Get Inoichi to scan their minds. They're withdrawing information from us, and we need to know what happened!" Tsunade huffed, before drawing in a long, calming breath. She gestured at Ibiki to start talking. He, wisely, kept his mouth shut about Tsunade's outburst.

"We suspect several members of the clan assisted her, but it is impossible to tell which ones, just like we can't tell who killed her. Judging from all the blood, the heiress wasn't in any state to kill Ayano, and neither would she have been able to leave. Someone else did it. And I don't believe it was a Konoha citizen, or a clan member."

Tsunade looked at him. It was difficult to see, but his eyes were grim. Something was bothering him, something that was definitely not good.

"Who do you have in mind, Ibiki?" She asked, warily. Anything bothering Ibiki was definitely not good.

"Ayano was an ANBU, and a strong one. She was killed by a direct blow to the heart, with a precision I have rarely seen. The murderer managed to sneak inside the compound, then under it, remain unseen, and kill Ayano without a struggle. That person is insanely strong, and knows his way through the compound, which means it is someone with a great knowledge of Konoha's clans. I can only think of one person who can pull this off, and he was last seen in Konoha three years ago."

Tsunade's blood ran cold. There was no mistaking who Ibiki was talking about. But to draw such a conclusion…in her eyes, there wasn't enough evidence to pin the blame on the Uchiha.

"Aren't you concluding too fast? Kumogakure once managed to steal an heiress too. It could be one of them. Besides, why would Uchiha Itachi want with her? She isn't a shinobi, has no bloodline, and has no real political value. And why kill Ayano? "

"The only proof I have…is this." He withdrew a small plastic bag from his pocket, and laid it on her desk. A piece of Akatsuki cloak.

"It was clutched in Ayano's hand. Only one member of the Akatsuki is capable of -and would- sneak in a clan compound in Konoha without causing a ruckus. Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade glared at the small, black piece of cloth, lying there almost innocently on her desk. Ibiki was probably right. But it wasn't good for them. They didn't have enough information to conclude the Akatsuki member was Itachi, but the Akatsuki cloak was real. She let her gaze wander back to Ibiki.

"So, the Akatsuki has her…" They couldn't do anything for now. They didn't have enough information, so the rescue would be extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, but the clan needed its heiress. Speaking of which… "How is the clan holding up?"

"Ashihei has taken the reins, but nothing has been made public yet. Once he is done with whatever he's planning for the clan, we will know, but not before." Tsunade remained silent. She trusted Ashihei to hold the clan together, while correcting anything that shouldn't exist. No need to worry for them, they would survive even if the heiress didn't come back. No, she would. Naruto would make sure of it.

"Thank you, Ibiki. You're dismissed." When the door closed behind him, Tsunade pressed her hands to her forehead. Hard.

"Shit."

XxxX

Far away from Konoha, a lone shinobi was making its way back to the Akatsuki headquarters. Lost in thoughts, he barely paid attention to his surroundings, but catching him off-guard would still be nearly impossible. He was one of the strongest shinobis of the world, feared by all, although his strength was rapidly waning.

But no one knew that, just like no one knew of Itachi's plan, of his true reasons for letting Tsuky interact with the Konoha team. He'd told Kisame he wanted to see how she did –but Kisame took it the wrong way, the way Itachi intended him to. He believed Itachi wanted to test her loyalty, but he didn't need to. He knows that, when he dies, she will go back to Konoha. He is the only thing keeping her here –that and the prospect of an arranged marriage. But what she didn't know was that after Ayano's –her _mother_ , he thought angrily- stunt, and her death –that brought him satisfaction, though he wished he'd made her suffering longer- the clan underwent heavy reforms, the council was dismantled, and her uncle had taken the lead –his spies had confirmed it- and he knew better than to force the sole heiress in an arranged marriage. Plus, now that her ninja status was known, Tsunade wouldn't allow her potential to go to waste. So, essentially, only he was keeping her here.

That said, what he truly wanted to know was if the Konoha shinobi would accept her back. He had no doubt Naruto would –but would he be enough? Kakashi understood she wasn't exactly with the Akatsuki of her own free will, but if he knew the whole truth…would he condemn her? Or would he welcome her back? He'd often fought with her father when he was alive. Would it be enough?

Could Ibiki find out the truth? Find that she had been tortured by her own mother, thus making her leave? The legal age for a ninja was when they became genin; after succeeding in the exam, their parents couldn't force them to quit or anything of the sort, like marrying some political figure. It was a pretty common thing for the clans to do, and the people concerned usually never refused for fear of being disowned. But, in all legality, they had the right to do so. Tsuky was no exception. But she never passed the genin exam…Would she still be considered a shinobi? She'd entered the Academy, after all…So Ayano's actions would be against the law, and Tsuky would be welcomed back –that is, if they never found out she left willingly, and believed he'd abducted her. Trapped between an arranged marriage and the Akatsuki, she'd had no choice but to remain with him. That story would do. No one would believe her capable of betraying the village by leaving willingly with Uchiha Itachi. Especially since she was friends with his younger brother.

When he'd been watching her, however, he hadn't taken his own feelings into account. He hadn't predicted the cold fury washing through his veins upon seeing the blond hugging her like that, hadn't expected to suddenly wish for nothing but for the jinchuuriki to g _et his damned hands off of what was his_. And then Kakashi had been on the verge of understanding, and he'd had to interfere, to keep his cover.

He cared for her –a lot. He might even love her. Throughout his quest of making her strong, he'd fallen for her gentle eyes, for her skilful fingers running on her notebook, fallen for her weaknesses, for the way she'd always put others before herself, and mask her inner pain not to worry anyone.

She was a kind soul about to be extinguished –and she had reminded him of Shisui, the night of his drowning. Eyes filled with nothing but acceptance, ready to face death… for the wrong reasons, in her case. He'd seen too much innocent die; he couldn't bear to see another one.

He took her away for his own, selfish reasons. Because she was young and innocent, because he enjoyed her presence. Because she would cry when he died. Because she would have a sad fate if he didn't take her; even though he didn't give her a choice, in the end. He'd have taken her even if she'd chosen the marriage. He'd involved her in his plan for Sasuke…because once he knew she was with him, it would fuel his hatred for him. And Sasuke would take her once he was dead, and go back to Konoha…everything would be fine. Except one thing.

Tsuky was smart. She'd begun to understand more than he wished her to. If he wasn't careful…she'd pierce the mystery of the Uchiha massacre. She had no clue apart from the way he behaved around her. While she wouldn't find the truth on her own, she'd understand something was amiss. And with Konoha's input…He had no doubt she would eventually stumble upon his mission scroll, hidden in the Hokage tower. The Hokage always, always kept the mission scrolls. If she wanted to find it…she would.

That's why he had to dissuade her to look.

That's why he had to make her believe he truly was the criminal he portrayed.

That's why he had to make her hate him.

And he didn't like it.

XxX

...Leave a review for a dumb author?


	5. The lesser of the two evil

Chapter 5: The lesser of the two evil

Hello, sorry it's been so long. I really have no excuses. But, I realised something upon re-reading what I had written so far, and maybe you all thought it was intentional, but it really wasn't:

I MESSED UP THE TIMELINE!

Sasuke has already killed Orochimaru, whereas at that point in the anime/manga, he hasn't.

That means I can't have Naruto and Sakura (with Sai and Yamato) meeting Sasuke and Orochimaru in the snake's hideout –and I had planned for there to be a MAJOR discussion between Naruto and Sasuke –about Tsuky. Obviously, that can't happen now.

So, I'm stuck. I need to change a few things, and I have no idea how, for now.

I won't discontinue this story (even if I take so long in between updates, sorry again) but I need to revise the plot a bit.

...Also sorry for the ones who had already read that chapter, due to a mistake I made before. Hopefully chapter 6 will be out soon!

Please enjoy this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

XxX

After saying goodbye to the Suna shinobis, Naruto and the others were finally going back, and although the blond had every reason to be excited, since they had a lead on Sasuke, it was dampened by what they learnt about Tsuky. Even the over-enthusiastic duo, Gai and Lee, remained oddly silent, mindful of Neji's inner conflict. He, too, had been close to Tsuky, though it had only been long and passionate debates about destiny. She had strongly believed that people could influence their fates, that they weren't written in stone. But at the same time, she had believed they were; she'd often told him:

 _'_ _You were born a branch member. As such, you are destined to fight for the main branch, to protect them. But you are free to decide what you will do with your life. The main House doesn't dictate your whole life, although it wished it could. You train on your own, fight on your own; you go on missions, make friends and such. It's up to you to decide what to do with the small freedom you have. Just like I am a girl, and an heiress. I have very little freedom, but eventually, only I decide what to do with the freedom I have. I know it may seem to be nothing, but it's the small things that will eventually change the world, when you join them together…I'm not making much sense, am I?'_

She'd smile sheepishly, and he would smile a bit. He didn't share her views on fate, but he would never point out her mistakes to her –such as the fact that she would have absolutely no freedom in her life. He'd been harsh with her, the first time she had told him all this. He'd belittled her, told her Hope was only fool's play. But then, though she hadn't been able to mask her hurt, she'd looked at him blankly and said: _'If you don't hope for a better life, Neji, why haven't you killed yourself already? And don't tell me you can't, because that's bull. If you really wanted to, they wouldn't be able to prevent you from doing it. So, why are you still standing, if you have no hope at all?'_

He'd found himself unable to answer that. Why did he live for, exactly? His duty as a Konoha shinobi? His revenge against the main House? He didn't know, never asked himself. He always thought his fate was already written, that he could only follow through with it, and nothing more.

But then, he'd fought Naruto, and he started to hope.

They kept meeting once in a while, to talk about everything. They shared an understanding, but they kept their secrets. He was yet another of her friends who didn't know everything about her. It was sad to realize she had been close to many people –but none had ever known the real her, the one she hid deep down. Naruto had only known she was training secretly –that was it. He hadn't known the darkness in her heart, hadn't understood her desperate need for freedom –she'd never shared it. Not with him, at least.

Every people she had been close to, she had shared one thing with them.

With Naruto, her secret training, and her determination, something she had cruelly missed when he left.

With Sasuke, her darkness, and need to find a light, just like him. But he had left, too, and she had been alone once more.

With Neji, her love for philosophical debates –a need to think about something else than her pathetic excuse for a life, a need to escape the pain.

Shino had shared her admiration for the small things, the lone flowers who could light an entire field, the thousands of tiny insects who could darken the sky.

With Shikamaru, she had managed to let go of everything, to stop worrying for a short while, loosing herself in the deep blue above her head.

Sakura and Ino had taught her about the futilities that made life more enjoyable. Flower arrangements, shopping, buying small, useless trinkets. After both Sasuke's and Naruto's departure, and consequently Ino's and Sakura's repaired relationship, the two had sought her out, and taken her upon their wings.

Hinata, against all odds, had taught her to stand quietly for herself, not to let the others trample her. She had thought the Hyuuga heiress to be in the same state as her, and thus had decided to try and support her, but it ended up being Hinata teaching her to hide her will, her strength, and letting everyone believe she had given up –while, in fact, she was just building up her strength. Indeed, Hinata had probably taught her the most.

All of them had managed to make her life a bit more enjoyable –but it wasn't enough.

She might have known most of them individually, but she wasn't a part of the rookie eleven. She didn't join them at Yakiniku –because it didn't feel right. They were all ninjas; she wasn't.

Such a complex character she was. Obviously frail and fragile when it came to herself, yet strong for the others. Always hiding, yet always truthful. Always sharing, and always hiding. What was strange was that if each one of them had shared what they knew of her, they would have understood she needed their help. They would have gone to Tsunade, or the Sandaime back then, and they would have fought for her. But they never discussed her; it just didn't happen.

Did she really trust them? Did she think they wouldn't be able to help her?

Maybe she didn't want to be a burden. Or, maybe, she didn't believe herself to be worth saving.

When the news of her disappearance had come, they had found themselves discussing her –and realising for the first time that she was close to pretty much everyone, without any of them knowing it. And then the question had come: why didn't they know it? For about six long years they had been friends, during the academy, yet it never came to their knowledge? Why?

After sharing all they knew about her, the bigger picture hadn't seemed so similar to the individual parts they each knew of her. They were still missing Sasuke's piece, but already the picture was pretty dark. She was a lone heiress, bound to a fate she didn't want, a girl who loved to think in a clan where she wasn't supposed to, a girl who loved solitude and despised crowds, someone who could love the smallest things, things that were looked down upon by her family. A girl who had tried to be strong and determined, and who had tried to defy her family, a girl who dreamed of being a shinobi. The only thing they were missing was exactly how deeply the situation had hurt her, but they could guess.

And now, with the revelation of her affiliation with the Akatsuki…

"So, she was training secretly?"

Sakura had never been a patient character. Everyone had been deathly quiet about the matter for too long. They needed to talk about it, whether they liked it or not. Part of it was official, true, and they needed to report it to Tsunade, but all of them had known her personally. They needed to talk. Naruto was the one to answer her question, since he was the only one who had known –and the others were curious, too.

"Tsuky-chan always wanted to become a shinobi. But when her father died, she was forced to quit, because apparently girls aren't supposed to fight or some other crap. So, she started training secretly, without telling anyone but me, because I could help her. She was still training when I left with Ero-sennin."

Kakashi turned to him with a frown.

"You mean she has been training for the past six years or so? How come no one ever discovered her?"

"She was supposed to be a civilian, Kakashi," Gai answered. "The Nowhara clan isn't really famous. Anyone seeing her training would immediately assume her to be an ordinary genin. No one would suspect anything."

"She was training on her own," resumed Sakura. "But this isn't the real question. What we should ask ourselves is, why did the Akatsuki take her? She has nothing of value for them. I haven't known her for long, but I know she isn't the type to purposely seek them out. Which means, they contacted her, because she never left Konoha. So, why?"

"And she wasn't wearing their cloaks," Lee spoke up. "So, she isn't a full member. She isn't a spy, because then she wouldn't have been there. And she just watched Sakura-san's and Chiyo-sama's fight, she didn't do anything. And obviously, she wasn't supposed to be seen by us."

"But she was in the cave during the whole extraction, so it means she was ordered to stay and watch. Or else she would have left with a member. Eh," Kakashi sighed, "this is really an odd situation. It feels as though Tsuky was…training, with the Akatsuki."

The group remained silent for a while. Kakashi's conclusion made sense, even though no one wanted to admit it. Because if Tsuky really was training with their enemy…she was a lost cause. Sakura was the first to shake her head.

"It doesn't add up, Kakashi-sensei. Why would they train her? They only take strong people in. They were never reported to have members-in-training with them. The ones they recruit immediately become full members."

"That," Naruto added, "and the fact that she has nothing that could interest them. I mean, she has no outstanding chakra reserve, isn't a biju, has no kekkei genkai…So, why?"

This time Neji, who had remained quiet all this time, was the one to speak his thoughts.

"In one of the oldest books of the archives in the Hyuuga compound, there is a mention of a Nowhara Shigeru…who possessed a kekkei genkai." The others immediately looked at him.

"Nowhara?" asked Naruto. "So the guy's a part of Tsuky's family?"

"And he had a bloodline," mused Tenten. "Could Tsuky have inherited it? Could that be what the Akatsuki is after?"

"I searched the books about his offspring," answered Neji. "But it is said that almost no one after him was able to activate it. The more time passed, the less it was mentioned, to the point that almost nobody knows there is a bloodline in the Nowhara clan. The Akatsuki couldn't have known."

"But Tsuky could have, and so could Itachi, since you found out in your clan's archives. Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd read everything there was to know about Konoha." Argued Kakashi. "And that's the only explanation we have, but we're still missing parts of the investigation. For example, why did she lose so much blood the night of her disappearance? What happened to Ayano? And what role did the Akatsuki play in all of this? Let's hurry back. Maybe Ibiki will have news about the case." Gai was ecstatic.

"Come on, my youthful students! Let's show team Kakashi who is the most youthful!"

He was answered with a 'YES! Gai-sensei!' before the two green-clothed shinobis blurred past the four sweat-dropping teenagers, and a grey-haired jounin muttering 'not again, Gai' under his breath.

The two teams hurried back, hoping to find a way to save yet another friend lost in the darkness. Naruto shuddered. It was almost frightening how alike Sasuke and Tsuky were –two teens hit by death in their youths, who had been irremediably broken, and were struggling to heal. Two people who had been betrayed by someone they trusted and loved, two children who had had no other choice but to join the other side. They understood each other better than anyone. Except, Sasuke's suffering had taken place in the span of a night, whereas Tsuky's had lasted for years, but at a smaller intensity. And Tsuky would come back willingly, if given the chance.

Sasuke he was not so sure.

XxX

"I'm surprised you didn't kill the brat for touching her."

Itachi walked past his partner without answering. He had significantly calmed down during his walk, and was now confident about the way he'd handle everything. He'd push her away straight in Konoha's arms, as soon as his spies confirmed what Ibiki found out, although he had no doubt the man would come to the right conclusion. It was all a matter of time.

"Itachi-san." Kisame's voice was blank, but with an unmistakable tenseness. It was odd of Kisame to let his feelings show when it was not amusement or bloodlust. Because they had been partners for years now, and because they had reached a mutual understanding and deep respect for each other, the Uchiha stopped, though he did not turn around.

Kisame remained quiet for a while. He knew his partner cared for the girl, or at least he was convinced of it. It was obvious to him Itachi had a plan for Tsuky, and it never included her staying in the Akatsuki. It would damage her if she stayed for too long. Whatever plan he had, it needed to be done soon.

"She's breaking."

Kisame turned around, and walked towards the entrance his partner had come through. He didn't need to say anything else. Tsuky had always been doubting her choice, but after today, she would start to resent it. She couldn't bear to hurt innocent people, especially when said people were just like her friends. He had to do something, or she would act on her own, and it would end very, very badly. And it would destroy everything he had planned so far.

Itachi tensed minutely at Kisame's words, before allowing his shoulders to drop. Kisame was right, but he already knew it. He didn't look forward to the 'talk' he'd have with Tsuky, but it had to be done. It was the next phase.

She was resting against a tree outside the hideout when he found her. She seemed lost in thoughts, her eyes unfocused and unseeing, but as soon as his steps echoed on the soft grass, she turned slightly to gaze at him. Neither said a word for a while. Tsuky expected his cold fury and heavy lecture, but he wasn't saying anything…what was he thinking? He just kept gazing at her, suddenly second-guessing his thoughts. He'd intended to be harsh on her, to remind her of Akatsuki's goals and her friend's imminent demise, but seeing her look so peaceful and at ease, her hair flying gently all around her face…he realised, once more, how powerless he was with her. It was Sasuke all over again. He couldn't hurt her without breaking himself.

Besides, that plan could backfire. He was the one she trusted the most…she could very well decide to stick by his side no matter what. She was too fragile. Frightening her would only result in her seeking comfort, probably in him…she would try to smother her feelings, if only to protect herself. It would scare her into submission, and that was the opposite of what he wanted. But if he just emphasized the dilemma she was going through…that could work. She would believe Akatsuki to be unfair –although he was pretty sure she already thought it was- and would separate herself from the organization. And if he told her as well what was happening within her clan…and Konoha's reaction…that would do the trick.

"You cannot keep the two parts of yourself." She looked away.

"I know."

"Then why do you insist on keeping them both?"

She rose, but did not look at him. She already knew what was coming –he had told her so when she first came here. About breaking her bonds, forgetting her morals and such. But she could never resign herself to do so, and they both knew it. So why did he keep telling her this?

Her left hand stroked the tree bark. It felt comforting under her small fingers; it reminded her of the time where she used to climb trees the traditional way, and of all the small injuries she always sustained after clenching the rough bark too hard. Yet she always felt safe on the top of a tree, far away from everyone else, even though she could fall. Because, back then, no one would yell at her for doing so; and most importantly, no one would find her until she decided to go down. A time where she was still free.

"These two parts are who I am. I just can't let it go."

"You don't have a choice. You will be killed if you can't get rid of your past bonds." She stayed quiet once more. She had nothing to say.

"Your loyalty now goes to Akatsuki first and foremost. When you become a member, you will have to hunt the jinchuurikis. You will hunt your _friend_. Keeping these bonds will get you caught in a cross-fire when the time will come. If you can't erase your feelings, then at least repress them. It will only get harder, now that Konoha will be looking for you." That last part got a reaction. Tsuky stared at him with confusion.

"Looking for me? Why?"

"They launched an investigation of the Nowhara compound. They want to know what happened, and you are the only witness. And you are still the Nowharas' _only_ heiress." Tsuky didn't answer right away. Her mind was in turmoil. An investigation was expected, but why was he telling her all of this? And that last sentence…there was no need to add 'only'. It enhanced the idea that she was important to the clan, as the next clan head…but Ayano had so easily discarded this title…wait a minute.

"What happened, now that Ayano…passed away?" Ayano had been the clan head. Meaning she had had every power in her hands, including the right to send her off somewhere. She could always have another heir to replace her. But now…Tsuky was the only one able to take her place. Did it mean..?

"Ashihei has taken the reins. Now come."

He didn't say more, but Tsuky understood him clearly. Ashihei can't become the head if the last one has an heir. She could come back. She could become take the lead. And most of all, she could reach her dream. But…it was a bit too late for that.

Knowing him, he hadn't given her so much information without an ulterior motive. She couldn't have reached another conclusion than the one she had come to, so he wanted her to know she could come back. The question was why? As a test? But he already doubted her loyalty, and rightfully so. Telling her she could possibly leave was the worst way to go if he wanted to make her stay…Unless he didn't want to? But why would he want her to leave when he was the one who brought her here in the first place? That made no sense. Then again, he could be trying to tempt her only to catch her when she tries to escape –and punish her accordingly. No, that didn't sound like him. He wasn't one for manipulation; he didn't need to. At least not with her. _Oh well. I guess I'll just trust him and see what happens. If anyone knows what we're doing, it's him. Even though I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like it._

He led her silently through the long corridors of the hideout, towards a place she knew quite well –his room. It stood at the far end of the base, under layers and layers of traps and genjutsus only he could come out of unscathed –and her, because he had allowed her to –training her mind quite often took place in his room. While she was silently mulling over what he'd told her, Itachi kept glancing at her here and then. The first part of his plan was over; she knew she could come back, even though it wouldn't exactly be safe for her until Konoha found out the missing part of her disappearance –the arranged marriage, and a peculiar notebook he would retrieve soon. That idiot ex-future husband of hers might have been the daimyo's son, but he had decided to keep the whole ordeal quiet. Of course, having his bride disappearing a few days before his wedding probably didn't help his ego. He hadn't cared the least about her, or her clan; the result was, if the nobles knew he had been about to get married, they didn't know to whom. Although it was only a matter of time before Ibiki put two and two together with the return of Team Gai and Team 7. Then, the second part would be complete –and the third would begin.

Although he desperately wished there was another way.

They entered Itachi's room, and he motioned her to sit at the desk. She obeyed quietly, and he dropped a huge pile of scrolls and books before her. Most of them looked old; as though they'd stayed untouched for a long, long time. A lot of them had dust covering their pages, a sure sign that he hadn't opened them for ages. Which meant these were jutsus he had mastered a long time ago –but that was irrelevant. She met his eyes over the pile, and was surprised to find there a mixed emotion, as though he was torn about something. It disappeared not a second after she'd caught his eyes.

"You are forbidden from leaving the base until further notice. I have a mission, so I want you to study these scrolls. We will train when I come back." _And enact the third part of the plan,_ he added silently. Tsuky frowned.

"But you just came back…Shouldn't leader give you a break, or something..?" She didn't say it, but he knew she was thinking about his bad health. Reassuring her would serve no purpose, and admonishing her wouldn't either. So he did what he does best: not answering.

"I expect you to be ready to use them when I am done." And he left the room almost in a hurry.

Tsuky kept looking at the door, dumbfounded; he never left her alone to try new jutsus. And he never left her alone in his room; it was where he kept the few things he cared about, and he didn't want anyone to find out. However, she knew better than to snoop around.

Sighing heavily, and resolutely pushing her interrogations at the back of her mind, along with her frustration and fears, she put herself to work. The first scroll she picked up had blood stains, along with traces of water drops; it was wrinkled on some places, and the ink had suffered, but it was still readable. Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu, a jutsu which summoned a heavy fog to hide into. Pretty useful, and fitting, since her primary element was water. Did he pick these scrolls randomly, or did he choose them?

The next one made her rolling her eyes. Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu. He'd tried teaching her that jutsu, a while ago. She did not have the strength necessary. All that came out of her mouth was a small water snake/worm, withering miserably on the ground, before turning back into water. There had been a stunned silence between the three of them, before Kisame burst out laughing. Itachi had muttered something about her will, and hadn't attempted to teach her stronger justus since then. Did he expect her to try again? Yeah, right.

Nevertheless, she practiced the jutsus she found in the scrolls. Most had been water-based jutsus, although she had found a few wind-based as well. She could use ice, but she had never really understood how she did. Using water was easy to her; using wind was not.

He'd explained her the principle of combining two chakra natures using the wood release as an example, made of water and earth. If she could use ice, the combination of water and wind, she should be able to use wind and water separately. But even if Itachi could use jutsus with wind release thanks to the Sharingan, he couldn't exactly teach her (She was pretty sure he could. But, for a strange reason, he didn't). And since the only Akatsuki member to their knowledge who used wind release was none other than Kakuzu, asking him was out of the question. Thus, she wasn't exactly experienced with wind release.

Grumbling under her breath, she reached for the next scroll on the pile –not quite noticing it wasn't one until it was in her hand. When she finally looked at it, for it felt heavier and made of a different material than the scrolls, she was shocked to find a black leather book, protected by a small, almost unnoticeable genjutsu –one she saw only after activating the Hoshigan. Not really thinking about it, she dispelled the jutsu –and immediately wished she hadn't.

She'd just opened Pandora's box.

On the front page had appeared a name: Uchiha Itachi, and a date.

From eight years ago.

She quickly did the math in her head.

The year of the massacre.

With a painful jolt, Tsuky realised what she had in her hands was Itachi's diary. She didn't know what it was doing here –on the desk? So easy to access? Was he really that confident about his genjutsu? – She mentally kicked herself. Of course he was, the guy was a freaking genius. But lifting the genjutsu had been way too easy. There had to be a catch.

Tsuky found herself in a terrible dilemma; on one hand, this was a golden opportunity to find out more about Itachi, to try and understand exactly what was going on in his head –but on the other hand, she would be breaching his privacy. A diary should never be read by anyone other than its writer. _I'll just look at the first page. If it's too personal, I'll stop._

Nodding to herself, she turned the page. Her shoulders dropped with relief; it wasn't a personal diary –far from it, actually. It was just brief report of the missions he did as an ANBU captain –nothing more. Every sentence was detached, blunt and to the point. Emotionless. Just like him.

With a sigh –whether it was from relief or disappointment, she didn't know- she closed it and tossed it on the pile of scrolls she had already read. However, she'd just forgotten that the pile wasn't stable; the move broke the organized pile and the scrolls tumbled down, rolling everywhere on the floor, along with the book which landed upside-down, wide open, its pages torn under the cover. She stood up and gathered the mess, putting the scrolls back to a tidy pile, before picking up the book once more –but this time, a picture fell from the book, facing down on the floor, and Tsuky felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that picture was what she had been looking for in the diary, and the feeling was steadily growing stronger. Whatever that picture was, she knew it would forever change things between Itachi and her. The picture was important. More important than anything else. Once she looked at it, there would be no turning back. Ever.

 _'_ _Calm down, Tsuky. It's just a picture. Besides, weren't you ready to read the diary not five minutes ago?'_ _A small voice whispered in her head._

 _I didn't have such a feeling when I touched the book. And it ended up being nothing. That picture is_ definitely _something,_ _Tsuky countered._

 _'_ _Then look at it.'_

 _I can't._

 _'_ _It was put on your path. You were meant to look at it.'_

 _I can still choose to put it back without looking._

 _'_ _You are afraid. Afraid of knowing. You're just like a child; you'd rather stay in the dark, with the facts you believe to be true, than try to find an alarming truth. This is your weakness, Tsuky. You can't always run back to the light. You're already involved in the darkness. Now you can either face it head on, or let the others battle for you once more. But there is no guarantee they will succeed.'_

Tsuky remained quiet. She didn't know what to say.

 _'_ _Face your fears, Tsuky. No one else will do it for you.'_

Tsuky took a deep breath. It was time.

Shakily, she kneeled on the red-carpeted floor. The picture was still laying there, almost innocently. It called to her. She could see it had been handled many, many times; she couldn't even imagine how many times Itachi must have taken it in his hands.

Slowly, she reached for it. She didn't let her thoughts slow her down. Her fingers brushed against the paper, before picking it up and bringing it to her face. The image depicted wasn't relevant in itself.

What it implied, however, was.

On the picture, a thirteen year old Itachi was giving a piggy-back ride to an eight year old Sasuke, both brothers smiling happily to the camera. It was dated a while ago; it could have meant nothing.

But on the bottom right corner, a date was scribbled in a neat hand-writing –Itachi's.

A few days before the massacre.

A picture showing two happy boys.

Handled a thousand times by Itachi.

Dating from the time of the massacre.

And, possibly the most important: at some places, the picture was blurred, as though it had been caught under a small rain.

Or tears.

Tsuky fell on her knees.

She was turning everything she knew all over her head, but she couldn't reach another conclusion.

He cared about Sasuke.

He fucking _cared_ about Sasuke.

And if he cared about Sasuke, that meant he lied about 'testing his powers'.

He didn't let him live because he was 'a waste of his time'.

He did it because he _cared_.

Any thoughts/remarks/reflexions? Review!


	6. The Mirror of Lies

Chapter 6: The mirror of lies

Well, this time the update was much quicker. I'll try to update more actively, but I must admit the lack of reviews is somewhat discouraging. I mean, is this story so about that it's not worth dropping a review about it? Is it too weird/immature/badly written? This silence is worrying me, really.

Well, at least I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

XxX

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

Both Kotetsu and Isane shuddered behind the closed doors of the meeting room. Team 7 and Team Gai had returned earlier that day, and obviously, their news weren't great. They couldn't help but pity the poor shinobis who would suffer Tsunade's wrath.

Inside, Tsunade stood, fists closed, before the two teams. Their news weren't what she was expecting. At all. She was glad Gaara was safe, of course, but meeting Tsuky with the Akatsuki…No one could hear about this, or else that girl's future as a Konoha shinobi would be over –before it even began. Tsunade took a deep breath, and sat back down. The shinobis before her tensed with anticipation of the storm.

"…So, let me get this straight: Gaara died but was resurrected at the price of the Suna elder's life, Sasori of the Red Sand was killed, you gained input about a meeting with Sasori's spy in Orochimaru's hideout, and then you saw Nowhara Tsuky, alone, AND YOU DID NOT BRING HER BACK!?" The desk cracked under her fist, and everyone in the room recoiled. The blonde Hokage was well-known for her short-temper –and incompetence at betting, but that was irrelevant. Kakashi sighed; it was up to him to explain the situation.

"She was taken by Uchiha Itachi, and we were in no state to give chase, so we had to retreat. It would have been a lost battle."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. It would have been so much easier if they had been able to take her back.

"Her current affiliation with the Akatsuki remains blurry. She doesn't seem to be held hostage, but she isn't free to move either. We believe they offered her something she was powerless to refuse –but her loyalty still seems to lie with Konoha." Kakashi explained.

"…No one must know about this. If the council knows this, they will insist on labelling her as a traitor. Nothing of this must leave this room, am I clear?" She stressed out, looking at each shinobi one by one. They all gave quiet nods; all understood the direness of Tsuky's situation. Being affiliated with the Akatsuki was no small crime. Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Team Gai, you're dismissed." Gai led his team outside, enthusiastically racing with Lee to the furthest end of the village, Neji and Tenten both sighing heavily behind them. The door closed, and only team 7 remained.

"Now, about this spy you learned about," Tsunade relaxed, and with her every member of Team 7. "Prepare yourself for this meeting. This is a unique opportunity to learn about Orochimaru's whereabouts, failure is not an all goes well, we will be one step closer to retrieving Uchiha Sasuke, and ridding the shinobi world of a dangerous man. I will send for you when the time comes. You're dismissed." She waved at them, and they left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

 _Nowhara Tsuky…you're such a mystery. What happened the night of Ayano's murder? Why were you being tortured in there? And how is Uchiha Itachi involved in all of that? What is it that the Akatsuki wants with you? Damn it. Where is my sake when I need it?_

She opened a hidden drawer in her desk and got a small white bottle out, drinking straight from it. The mystery never seemed to get thinner.

XxxX

Bloody hell, was it hard.

She could not understand the spies. They spent weeks, months, years even hiding who they really were, hiding their feelings, their very being…and there she was, fighting for her life while trying to hide how distraught she was, and failing miserably.

After finding that picture in Itachi's room, she'd tried to come up with a reason as to why this picture was there, why she found it, what it meant…and hadn't found anything other than her first intuition.

Namely, that it was here because he cared about Sasuke. Why would he need a picture otherwise? Especially of them as children? And it was a bit wrinkled as though it had been handled many times. A mark of regret? She had a hard time picturing him at night, sitting alone on his bed, looking at the picture with shaking hands, barely restrained tears rolling down his cheeks…He'd always portrayed the unwavering, fearsome shinobi to her and the others. Who could've thought he had deep, real feelings?

That he was human, after all?

So, he cared. But if he cared, why did he do it? Why did he tell Sasuke to get stronger if he regretted everything? Itachi was too smart not to know he would regret his actions. So, why? He knew he'd feel bad, guilty maybe. And hurt, tremendously so. Because, if he cared about Sasuke…it must have killed him to hurt Sasuke in that hallway, three years ago…At least from what Naruto told her. Sasuke could never open up to her about this incident.

Or maybe…He took medicine, and his condition was bad. Worsening, she'd even say. Was he dying? If he was, then that would explain the regret. He didn't have much time to live, so he was now beginning to–

Wait a minute.

Itachi's dying!?

An ankle caught her right in the stomach, chasing all the air in her lungs. The strength of it sent her flying in a tree, and she felt blood trickle down the corner of her mouth. Her vision blurred a bit, but her body had gotten used to hard hits. Itachi's figure stopped dancing before her eyes, and stood a few feet before her. His dark eyes revealed nothing –wait, dark? He had started the fight with his sharingan. That he deactivated it without her knowledge showed just how much she'd stopped paying attention. Damn. She was in trouble.

"…Fighting should be the only thing your mind focuses on."

Tsuky knew that, of course she did. While he was gone, she'd tried her best to push the picture to the back of her mind. But when he came back about two weeks later, only one glance at his closed eyes and stiff posture were needed and the image of two smiling dark haired boys came back with a vengeance. Hence why she was so distracted today. She couldn't help but look for the signs she had missed…the signs that he cared, that he wasn't the monster he was trying to pretend he was.

…Well, to an extent. He still was an Akatsuki member, after all.

But during those two weeks, the desire to know the truth had consumed her nights and her dreams. Dreams of a boy crying over a thousand corpses, a bloody katana in hand, dreams of two boys looking at each other, worlds apart. One reaching for the other, one turning away.

Sometimes she felt as though she was the one reaching to him, and the ache became hers.

She looked up into these onyx eyes of his.

When she left Konoha for the last time, she'd yelled something to her mother…something he ought to have heard. Something she had buried deep inside her, convinced it was wrong, impossible, and useless.

She'd separated herself from her feelings for him, used her ruthless training to ignore it, her fear of his reaction–that and the fact that she was used to feel indifferent, numb.

But she could not erase it.

Love can be suppressed, can morph into something else, but does not disappear.

She had loved Itachi, maybe since the first day he began training her. She could deny she cared for him, but it was easy not to be worried for him when you thought he was a monster, a ruthless shinobi who felt next to nothing and was unbeatable. But that image had began shattering when he came for her despite the missed rendezvous, when she'd seen his medicine, and finally when she saw that picture.

Itachi was human. He felt regret and love.

She could love him.

It was as though a dam had broken in her mind. She was painfully aware of her heart's yearning to be with him, of the almost physical pain whenever she looked at him –and the desire to ease his suffering. She couldn't help it, despite knowing her concern would be ill-received.

She was acutely aware of the warmth of her gaze, of the love it held, bare for the world to see…and knowing the only one she wanted to see it would probably crush it. But she had to try.

Her family, her friends, Konoha no longer mattered to her. Right in that moment, she did not think about them. She had but one certitude.

Her future would lay with him…or she would have no future at all.

When their eyes met, Itachi knew exactly what was going through her mind.

Of course he'd heard her first confession, all these months ago. He'd been listening, waiting to see if she truly wanted to join him. He'd had his proof, and interfered. That was all.

He never acknowledged what she said because he knew it would never happen. He wasn't destined to be loved, and if he'd grown to care for her as the months passed…It didn't mean he could return her feelings. He didn't want to see another Sasuke, and that's what he saw in her, the first time. He saw Sasuke, as what he would've become had he not slain the clan. A Sasuke unhappy, depressed and numb. He did not want to see it happen.

But she was different than Sasuke. She was gentle, kind. She was sometimes wiser than an old man, and often more naïve than a newborn. And she did not look up to him with admiration in her eyes; only gratitude and a deep, profound respect, for the hardships he'd endured and survived, for the shinobi he was, for the teacher he became for her. She always listened to him and that should have made her boring, unoriginal, but it did not. Because he read in her like an open book, saw what she wanted to say but never dared to. Her eyes spoke for her, and that made her so easy to hurt and manipulate –but she never said a thing. She just shook the dirt off her shoulders, and stood back up. He could still remember the teenager falling off that tree, the tears running down her face, the unease and uncertainty in her eyes…none of that, now. In her beautiful sapphire eyes, there was nothing but love.

And serenity.

He suddenly became aware that she was no longer a child.

Somehow, she had gotten out of the awkwardness she'd carried far onto her teenage years. Silently, she'd carved her own path, letting it linger next to his, next to the Akatsuki's, next to Konoha's, never joining, always touching.

And now –she was trying to make hers and his merge together.

He could not allow it.

But, for once, as he parted his lips to speak, she was faster than him.

"…While you were gone, in your room…I found a picture of you and Sasuke."

Outwardly, Itachi did not react, but his parted lips closed. Inwardly, he froze in dread and apprehension. He knew exactly what picture she was talking about. But, for the life of him, he could not react. He never expected her to find it, yet he should have expected it. He'd left her alone in his room, something he'd never done before. He should never have.

Was it because, somewhere deep inside…he wanted it all to end?

If she found out the whole truth…he could be free. He could cease this painful existence. He could–

No.

He would not.

He could not.

His duty had to be done. No one could play his part for him.

No one.

"…The picture is a bit wrinkled from too much handling…and there are tear marks on it…" She paused. He had yet to interrupt her, being his perfectly composed self still. Too composed. His shoulders were a tiny bit too alert, his eyes a bit too fixated on her, his hands too relaxed…He was tense. And the fact that she could see it meant he really was.

She knew she should stop while she could. Once she said it aloud…there was no coming back. But there had to be an ending for something new to start. She could only hope this new chapter would go the way she intended it to…but she had no power over it. She took a deep breath. This was it; the moment of truth.

"…You love him, don't you…? All this time…but you can't let the Akatsuki know. Because if they did, he would be in danger. I don't know why you did what you did, but I-"

"You are projecting your feelings onto me." Itachi cut her off, calm as ever, as though the matter was unimportant. But she'd seen him! She'd seen the tenseness in his shoulders! He couldn't make her believe she was wrong!

"You said that you couldn't get rid of your feelings, it is part of who you are. As such, you cannot get rid of your feelings for me, but you can no longer handle them now that I showed you who I really was; an Akatsuki member, what many call a monster, a murderer with the blood of a thousands on his hands. You cannot love someone like me, and are trying to find hidden marks of the humanity I discarded long ago, to get rid of the guilt of loving a murderer." Tsuky gaped at him. That was way too far-fetched.

"I most definitely don't-" She spluttered indignantly.

"Do you deny it?"

Tsuky stopped. She didn't like where this was going.

"Deny what?"

"That you feel guilty for loving me."

She fell silent. A part of her was screaming at her to react, to deny this, to assure him of the strength of her feelings…but another, bigger part of her, begged to differ. She'd never mentioned what she felt to him because she'd tried to burry it underneath gratitude and appreciation…and because it just wasn't possible…because he was a murderer.

Because she couldn't forgive him for the innocent lives he'd needlessly taken, for his actions as a shinobi…for being the monster that made Sasusuke what he was now, for hunting Naruto down, for being a part of that criminal organization.

But she was one of them now, was she not?

…No, she wasn't.

She'd never considered herself as an Akatsuki member in training. She'd always stayed…a Konoha shinobi.

She'd just avoided thinking about it.

Her silence was an evident answer for him.

He really hated what he was about to do.

"Love is a fickle thing. It gives you no strength; only fear for those you love, and the shinobi who fears is the one who _dies_. You are alone here, those you care about…Deidara, Kisame…should you fall in battle, they _will not_ help you. _No one will_. What good will loving them bring you, then? _Nothing_. We are _born_ alone, we _die_ alone. There is no point in creating bonds, for they will only bring you betrayal and pain. In the end, when comes the day of your death…They will change _nothing_."

Each word felt like a kunai going through her chest, again and again. Her whole body was frozen with shock and pain; never before had he used such harsh words with her. Her certitudes were crumbling around her, crashing on her head harder than they ever had. How could she go on? How could she leave all of her beliefs behind? She'd just refused to think about it…but she had to see the truth. She would have to either lose everything that made her herself and survive, or go back to what she was –and die.

There was no middle ground.

But Itachi wasn't finished.

In a few, slow steps, he stood next to her –their shoulders touching. He wasn't looking at her, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

With a dark, unforgiving tone, he dealt her the final blow.

"And the love you have for me…is _meaningless_."

Her eyes flew wide open, beautiful, sapphire eyes losing sight of what was before her.

Tears flowed down her cheeks, slowly, quietly. Before, she felt sad, confused –but her sense of self had never been so shaken. She was no one. Neither Akatsuki member, neither Konoha shinobi, neither heiress.

She was nothing.

Was she even a shinobi...?

Shinobi did not have emotions. That was of the first rules they were supposed to learn –Itachi was right. Emotions made one weak. Was this why she never succeeded in becoming stronger...? Because she had feelings –because she could not erase them, like every generation before her...?

He'd taken a few more steps, until their backs were facing each other. In that moment, though they weren't aware of it, their stances perfectly mirrored each other. Forever lost in a world that wasn't theirs, forever meant to do exactly the opposite of what their hearts truly wished for.

Had she looked at him at moment, she'd have seen his expression mirrored hers.

But she did not saw.

Everything could have been different if she had.

But she remained ignorant –for the last time.

It took all of his iron will and ruthless training to force the last words through his lips.

"Go back to your room. We're done for today."

In the blink of an eye that would have betrayed his inner conflict to anyone seeing them both, Itachi was gone.

But Tsuky did not care to notice. Something new _had_ started, her relationship with Itachi had shifted…but not the way she wanted it to.

Once his aura was gone from the field, what little strength she still had left her –and she fell to her knees. She couldn't say anything, just watch as her tears disappeared in the grass. Her shoulders shook silently, her fingers desperately burying themselves in the ground, in an unconscious effort to deal with the situation better –though it was of no help. She could not think past the hurt and the shock, could not bring herself to put it in a corner of her mind and burry it –to either forget or think about later, as she always did. But it no longer worked, she understood it now. She'd only blinded herself to everything like a child pretending a problem did not exist because it scared him. She'd refused to see –and now she faced the consequences.

Her tears became heavy sobs, the shaking got stronger. Something had broken in her.

And she did not know if she could fix it.

When she felt the darkness rise through her tired eyes, she welcomed it with open arms, hoping to somehow ease the ache in her chest. She fell into blissful oblivion.

But, in her broken mind, fighting its way through her fears and crumbling certitudes, one question stubbornly remained.

 _If attachments are a weakness…then why did you come back for me back then…?_

XxxX

Itachi walked away from the scene. He'd done what he'd planned to do since the very beginning, and this time had went further than before. Hopefully this would suffice.

She'd always been one to burry the problems in the deepest recesses of her mind, refusing to think about it –in the childish hope that it would just disappear. But she could not live in the Akatsuki like this. Reprimanding her, letting the other members believe she was completely submissive to him was the best way to keep them away from her. The best way to protect her, until it would be safe to return to Konoha. Besides, she wasn't even remotely interesting to them –they'd never seen her fight, and she wasn't yet a full-fledged member. And he made it so she would never be.

"What is it, Itachi-san? You look so upset! Did something happen with Tsuky-chan?"

…If someone didn't interfere with his plans.

From a dark corner of the room he'd landed in, a tall man came into view. The bright, swirling orange mask hid his identity, as much as his overly bubbly, cheerful character –maybe the most effective of masks. No one took the strange man seriously, only respecting his presence because of their leader's wishes –but Itachi knew him long before he joined. The man was dangerous, a master of manipulation and a skilled opponent, a man with strange, powerful abilities known as Tobi by most of them. Known as Uchiha Madara, one of his ancestors, by him, and most likely their leader.

Itachi's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Do not involve her."

"Whyyyyyy?" The child-man whined. "Tobi is a good boy, Tobi wants to play with beautiful, strong Tsuky-chan! Tsuky-chan can become Tobi's friend! And Tobi will-"

"Cease this comedy this instant, _Madara_." The whining abruptly stopped. The man stood straighter and stopped gesticulating everywhere, focusing instead sorely on his descendant. His dark, ominous chakra was leaking off him in waves, the sheer amount of power made evident –but Itachi did not even flinch. He stood calmly under the assault, hard gaze never wavering from the single hole in the orange mask –where a single, sharingan eye could be seen. The man's – _Madara's_ \- presence was impressive and threatening, the aura of a man used to be in command, and who enjoyed punishing those who defied him. He let out a small chuckle.

"Well, Itachi, I hadn't seen you so upset since you had to leave your brother behind. She seems…important, to you. And she is strong…she could tip the balance of the oncoming war." Madara's words made it all too obvious what he wanted –but he would have none of it. Itachi hadn't freed her from the hands of one power-hungry, control freak maniac for her to fall in the hands of another. But Madara's interest was surprising. He ought to know her clan was on its way to extinction, its lineage weakening with the years…Tsuky's genes were an oddity, her potential shocking and unexpected. Her mind wasn't strong enough yet, wouldn't be before many years, too late for whatever Madara had planned. And there was no certitude her abilities would be passed on her children –her clan had a rather disastrous track record when it came to it, after all. He had to divert his attention from her.

"I would hate to see her potential go to waste. She cannot handle your teachings, and you know it." Madara tilted his head, apparently curious.

"She cannot?" he asked, though the amusement was clear in his voice. "I do believe you might be underestimating her. You are not one to make such mistakes, Itachi."

"I know her better than you. _You_ are underestimating the consequences of your teachings on the mind – _she is not ready_." His tone had been neutral, with no emotion whatsoever –but he was well-aware that Madara could hear his accent he'd put on his final words.

"For now, maybe, she isn't." Madara relented. "But make no mistake, Itachi…" His voice grew dangerously threatening, carrying a dark promise Itachi would have been a fool to dismiss. "You can't keep me away forever. And the day you can no longer protect her…She is _mine_."

One swirling trick later he was gone, and Itachi cursed inwardly. He'd just pushed Tsuky right under Madara's nose. He'd let her become an unwilling pawn in their game. Kind, forgiving, frail Tsuky. She wouldn't last a day in his hands, and he'd never forgive himself if something happened to her –because of him. After all, he'd taken her away from Konoha, he'd taken her to the Akatsuki –but she wasn't a threat to anyone. She was too gentle, too weak, unimportant. And yet, she was beginning to get involved in the bigger picture. He should have expected it, he thought. After all, she was friends with Sasuke, with Naruto –he took her under his wing, and she entered the Akatsuki. She was neck-deep involved in the three major sides of the conflict. It was pointless to try and keep her out of it, now. The only thing he could do was prepare her to the best of his abilities –and get her back to Konoha. It was probably the only place where she would be safe.

A change of plan was in order.

XxxX

Somewhere on a desert, standing at the entrance of a great cave, three figures stood, facing a fourth one. One young woman with long, red hair, shifting agitatedly from one foot to another, one tall and burly man with orange, spiky hair who seemed perfectly fine with the situation and a strange, light blue-haired guy looking desperately thirsty and dehydrated.

The three seemed to be listening intently to their leader, the lone figure facing them. With his black hair and piercing red eyes, he was intimidating and radiated power and authority.

"…My goal is to find and kill my brother, Uchiha Itachi. He is one of the strongest shinobis in the world, and tracking him will not be easy, such is why I came to you three. Your abilities are unique and powerful, and I could use them to reach my goal. This is all I ask of you. After this, you will be all free to go. I will no longer need your help. What are your decisions?"

They all glanced at each other, gauging their reactions. Before long, the orange-haired man came to stand silently next to the dark-haired one, conveying his choice without words.

The remaining two bickered a bit more, before they both eventually joined their new group together. A brief explanation and a brief spike of chakra later, the four figures were long gone –setting into motion the next part of their history, one the major pieces of the puzzle, though they knew nothing of it.

From now on, their path would bring them closer and closer to the disturbing truth, to the explanation of a past not quite gone and maybe, just maybe, if they accepted it –towards redemption and happiness.

But as team Hebi left the great desert, looking for Uchiha Itachi's trail, redemption and happiness were the furthest things on Sasuke's mind.

 _Soon, Itachi_ , he thought. _Soon, you monster –you will get what you deserve._

No one was there to listen.

XxxX

Tsunade almost crumbled the letter in her hand. It was so obvious.

How could they have missed something so evident, something that everyone knew –except Konoha? And how did they even manage to get the Fire Daimyo to agree?

 _Hokage-sama,_

 _I searched the Nowhara clan's archives as you asked me, and I finally stumbled upon something interesting. In fact, I believe this to be the key to unlocking the puzzle to the mystery that is Nowhara Tsuky._

 _As you know, the clan had been greatly weakening throughout the years, their bloodline almost disappearing and their influence and power eaten away by stronger, more powerful clans. In the archives was the diary in which every clan head wrote the events he or she faced while being leader, and most account for this progressive loss of power, though none of them understood why it was. The strange thing is, the bloodline started disappearing at about the same time they started to forbid women from training. My hunch is, the gene is transmitted by women, not men, and since it can only be awakened through chakra training…it makes sense that they killed their own bloodline without knowing it. Women with no training wouldn't awaken and it, and since the gene wasn't stimulated, it became dormant. And before you ask, Ayano did not have it –she was originated from a rather distant branch. As for Tsuky, while it is known that she had training, I cannot tell whether she managed to awaken it or not. But I digress._

 _The thing is, they searched for other ways to regain their influence –through political alliances. But every single one of them was shrouded in secrecy; apparently they did not want anyone to know who their allies were, no matter the cost. In the archives was a rather impressive track record of the alliances made throughout the years –I joined a copy of it with this letter. Some run pretty far from here. The one fact that interests us is the way through which the alliances were made –namely, arranged marriages._

 _And here is what I found: a week before her sudden disappearance, Nowhara Tsuky was engaged to marry Kodashi Masaru, son of the Fire Daimyo. I do believe the prospect of marrying him was enough to convince her to accept whatever opportunity was thrown at her –even leaving with the Akatsuki. But if such is the case, we need to prove she didn't exactly leave of her own free will._

 _Such is why I formally ask you, Hokage-sama, for permission to search the whole compound –the inhabitable part of it, that has remained untouched so far, according to our laws. I am convinced everything we need is here._

 _Respectfully,_

 _Nara Shuhei, Investigation Department_

Tsunade scowled again. Arranged marriages. These were so old-fashioned! The Clans usually had the two involved meet long before that so they could know each other, and grow at least friends. And refusing was always a possibility –no matter the scowls and frowns of the Elders. Since life could be so short for a shinobi, the clans had understood the need for happiness. Shinobi who had something to return to were more inclined to stay alive.

But this, this was just…primitive. As though they'd stayed stuck in a past where women had to remain in the house raising children and had no other use. As though they were just good to hand away to the first powerful man that came, for the clan. It made her sick.

Even the Uchihas hadn't been quite that bad. They had been ready to sacrifice everything for their precious clan, even a four-years old's childhood and happiness, but at least they had respected women.

The mystery was almost solved, now. Tsuky had been driven away by despair, not the illusion of power or whatever. She had been abused for years, without anyone knowing –she doubted even herself would think of it as such- and had found her own way of resisting, while respecting Konoha's laws. After all, it would be absurd to forbid ninja's children from training. But such things were frowned upon in her clan, and Tsunade couldn't interfere –it had been a clan matter, after all. If they wanted to forbid Tsuky from training, then the Hokage had no right to interfere. She wasn't her tutor or anything, and it wasn't forbidden.

But secret torture was forbidden, and now she could do something –namely, the first step would be to declare Tsuky independent –and the best way would be through giving her an official ninja status. But for that, she needed to come back.

She wasn't exactly a shinobi yet, so it couldn't count as a betrayal, right? They couldn't forbid civilians from leaving. And officially, Tsuky was a mere civilian.

As long as her affiliation with the Akatsuki wasn't known, or if she could somewhat prove that Tsuky was working for Konoha. What a pain.

Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk.

"Get me Ibiki Morino in there right now!"

Xxxx

Sooo….the plot thickens finally, diverting from Tsuky and Itachi. Hurray!...Though they'll still be at the forefront of this story. They're the protagonists, after all.

The confrontation between these two was a real pain in the ass to write, and I still don't like the way it came out. Is it even plausible? I feel like I'm just repeating myself.

See you next time, hopefully the next chapter will be out much quicker than this one. Sorry again for the wait.

Don't be shy and leave a review!


	7. Bonus: Don't mess with a girl's hair

BONUS: Don't mess with a girl's hair

A bonus scene from Tsuky's time with the Akatsuki.

First attempt at humour, so tell me if it was weird/boring/funny/Great/terrible/the worst thing you've ever read. Or whatever you want.

I'm still working on the next chapter, it should be out rather soon.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto~

Enjoy!

XxxX

From the moment she opened her eyes, Tsuky knew this would be a bad day.

Her hair had become one huge, tangled mess during the night –a mess she spent close to an hour to untangle, crying in the bathroom whenever the painful brush pulled on the sensitive, thin skin of her head. She had to pause every few minutes to unclench her fists on the sink –her knuckles were turning white from the strain, and she could've sworn she heard a worrying 'crack' in the marble.

She had a fit once half of it was done –because it had actually been the easy half.

Then she'd gotten frustrated when her brush got stuck in her hair –and proceeded to pull it out forcefully.

The string of curses she let out was heard all the way to Konoha.

And after two bloody hours of struggle, extreme pain, strands ripped out and letting out colourful words that would have made even Hidan blush, she was out of hell.

But then Kisame just had to hear her, and offered to cut her hair.

Literally.

The next hour or so was spent fleeing from the crazy shark swinging Samehada around –determined to solve the problem his way. A few unlucky strands of her hair were still embedded on the bathroom wall –even Pein hadn't managed to get them out.

Of course, she could have handled Kisame –if Sasori hadn't decided the shark was wrong, and the best way to prevent the problem from resurfacing was to replace it with synthetic strands, like his.

She screamed bloody murder as they both chased her across the hideout with the goal of murdering her precious, precious hair.

And once she found herself backed in a corner, she just had to realise she had run into the training ground Deidara used to test his new explosives.

And that her hair had come lose out of the hasty bun she'd done when Kisame started chasing her.

And that both Sasori and Kisame hadn't followed her.

And that the crazy bomber was inside, currently trying out a new technique.

 _Oh shit._

"KATSU!"

…Two hours later, she could only mourn the torn, tattered strands of blackened hair falling lifelessly to the ground, while staring in disbelief at the ruler telling her she had indeed lost _ten inches_ of her beautiful, silky, midnight hair.

Ten inches she had proceeded to untangle that very morning during two hours.

It wasn't even lunch time yet.

…And Itachi was gone for the day. No one would save her precious, beautiful hair.

The dark-haired girl went back to the bathroom to fix what remained of her dearest feature.

When she came out half an hour later, she had lost _five inches_ more, lost in the explosion –and blackened beyond recognition.

The long, magnificent strands she was so proud of, where they once reached her waist, now barely went past her shoulders.

Someone was going to die.

About a mile from here, a little boy asked his grandmother why there was a hairbrush in the tree –one that looked like someone had viciously torn every tooth and burned the handle 'til all that remained was a piece of charred… _something_ , with a few remaining sticks hanging miserably from the main part.

Tsuky stomped towards the kitchen, a dark and creepy cloud hovering above her head, the few, courageous, remaining strands rising in a vengeful demand for retribution.

Beware of the Black Hair Ghost.

Hidan was slurping some noodles on the table, boredly ignoring Deidara waiting casually by the coffee maker while Kisame ate tempura on the countertop. The silver-haired freak was the first to notice her –and proceeded to dig his own grave.

"Oi, bitch! Cutting off your fucking ugly hair's not gonna–"

Both Deidara and Kisame cringed when the boiling hot water was flung at Hidan's head. Noodles began slipping from his face, leaving greasy traces on his pale skin. One fell on the table with a slick 'splotch'. The shocked silence lasted about five seconds.

The small, wooden, normal table who had never asked for anything in its short life was mercilessly flung at the wall, briefly thinking she should have been a spatula like her mother wanted before dying in a thousand, tiny pieces of splintered wood. Deidara and Kisame shrunk behind the counter while Hidan did what he was best at –yelling profanities.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM? YOU CRAZY LITTLE-"

"…Hidan."

"…Uh?"

"Get lost."

Her chakra turned dangerously dark before he found himself closely acquainted with the wall. Deep cracks zigzagged next to his head until they reached the ceiling –and heavy pieces of plaster fell right on the poor Hidan, crushing him while he was still trying to understand that he'd face-planted into the wall. In front of Deidara, Kisame, and because of a girl.

...No, not a girl. A demon.

A demon who was now staring at him with the burning fires of hell in her gaze.

Her chakra rolled off her in strong, burning waves that had the three men shuddering in unease.

Tsuky closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hitting Hidan wouldn't bring back her poor, lost hair. She had to accept it was gone and wouldn't be back until it had grown back, in a few months. Yeah, it wasn't forever. Her greatest pride and joy would be back soon, and in the meantime, she just had to-

"…H–hey…We didn't know, un. And, um, we promise we'll be careful from now on, sooo…please forgive us, yeah?"

His quiet, for once not annoying tone had almost (almost!) managed to pacify her.

But Kisame just had to make it worse.

"…Are you on your period or something?"

All hell broke lose.

The chairs, previously spared by her fury, flew around and crashed against the remaining walls. An innocent bowl of tempura came dangerously close to the counter's edge –when it was thrown at blonde head whimpering under the window and missed him, crashing with a beautiful arch in the forest a mile from here.

The same boy asked again if tempura could fly –and his grandmother could only usher him home while pitying the poor soul who had been on the receiving end of that bowl…

Burning coffee stained black cloaks and skins, their agonised screams echoing throughout the whole hideout.

Konan looked at the door, concerned.

"…Shouldn't we do something…?"

Pein shuddered.

"…I'm not crazy enough to get involved."

Thus they wisely decided to stay out of it.

At some point, the dark-haired banshee got a hold of a miraculously still intact chair. Her eyes burned with a vengeance. A nose cracked, several bones did too, and pieces of the walls –what still remained of them- fell. Her vengeful screams were heard deep into the forest –creeping out the child and his grandmother.

Broken chairs were thrown everywhere, the legs sometimes broken in half, often embedded in strange places. The light bulb had broken and fallen on the marble floor, denting the mosaic beneath. The windows were all broken –one of them bearing a hole suspiciously resembling a certain shark-head moron- and the glass pieces littered the room; the coffee pot stood miraculously- never mind.

Hidan was sprawled on the countertop, Deidara was frozen beneath him, and a blue hand hanged from the window, his owner pretending to be unconscious outside –so he'd avoid the storm a bit longer. In vain.

"TOUCH MY BEAUTIFUL, PRECIOUS, PERFECT SILKY MANE AGAIN AND DIE!"

They all cringed, bracing themselves for another rampage –but nothing happened. The tornado stomped outside, obviously still in a foul mood –but they were safe. Finally.

Kisame slowly got to his feet, before slowly re entering the room. Hidan turned so he was on his stomach –but didn't dare move any further. Deidara did not move at all, though his eyes slowly went back to their normal size.

They surveyed the disaster before them.

"…Did she just say 'mane'?"

"…Did she say 'perfect'?"

"…She said 'silky'?"

They looked at each other.

Deidara shivered.

"…Alright. I'm going to pretend this never happened and live blissfully ignorant for the rest of my life."

"This is never getting out of this room."

"…She's fucking crazy."

Footsteps were heard outside and they all stiffened.

She was back. The demon was back to finish what she'd started.

Three fearful looks were directed at the door…until blood red eyes stared back at them. The three sighed with relief, before slumping to the ground. This was not good for their health.

Itachi raised a brow at the unusual reaction. Relief wasn't what the others expressed when he walked in a room. Had he been anyone else, he would have felt offended and promptly reminded them why they were supposed to fear him –but his eyes choose that moment to glance at the room before him.

Utter chaos.

Broken furniture laying everywhere, holes in the walls and ceiling, chipped mosaic –Kakuzu was going to have a fit- and wasted food on their clothes. Add the fact they looked all on edge, as though something –someone, if their reaction to his entrance was of any indication- would come in anytime now and finish what he had started.

Itachi looked at them.

"…What happened here…?"

They glanced at each other.

"…"

"…"

"…Your student is Satan's spawn. Yeah."

XxxX

Sooo…hate it? Like it? Tell me so I know if I should post more –or focus on the actual story.

Leave a review!


	8. The Words of a Child

**Lonely Souls**

Chapter 7: The words of a child

…Sorry, again. I keep letting days turn into weeks and months without updating, but then again, I don't get why my computer won't let me update. Well, at least the next chapter is here, so thanks to the few of you who actually take the time to review, it really makes my day.

On a more personal note, I really like Sakura's character –but I believe she could be much more appreciated if she wasn't so hopelessly bound to Sasuke. Yeah, she loves him too much to kill him, she knows it and it's tearing her apart, but I would have preferred if she just stayed quiet instead of begging him to come back every time they meet. I would be alright with her saying anything –as long as she's not begging. That just makes me cringe every time. As such the Sakura I'm picturing here, while still loving Sasuke no matter what (I still love SasuSaku, after all) will not be as desperate. I see her as more mature and dignified due to her training as a medic, more capable of hiding her feelings.

Same with Naruto. Sometimes I find him just too dense, and just as obsessed as Sakura. In this fic, he will think a bit more before acting –something which results from Tsuky's influence. Canon Naruto can actually be pretty perceptive when he wants to be, particularly when it comes to Sasuke, so I believe he would have noticed the bond between his best friend and Tsuky, and somewhat still trust him enough to help her. He's still the knuckle-head we love, but he uses his brain a tiny bit more when he isn't fighting.

…but these small differences don't really affect the story, don't worry. I don't plan on shattering their characters.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

XxxX

She lay on her side, unmoving on the soft, warm sheets of her bed. Midnight blue eyes stared at the wall, fixed on something only she could see –except she didn't see at all. Her knees beneath her and an arm under her head, Tsuky let her thoughts float around meaninglessly.

Deidara had found her like this a few hours ago –and she had barely moved ever since. She seemed so far away, so lost in a world he couldn't reach –and Deidara would never admit it, but he was worried. She was probably the most tolerable person in the hideout, for the other members were all barbarians who did not understand anything of his art. He could still remember when he explained his views with her, being a fellow artist and such. She'd shown him some of her work, and he begrudgingly recognised that she was skilled, though she appeared to share Sasori's view rather than his own. But she had shaken her head.

" _We never realise how fleeting everything is. Once it gone, it never comes back –it's lost forever. And that's also what makes it so precious; we know we will outlive it, so we need to make the most of it before the memory disappears. It's beautiful…because it's bound to be forgotten. It is not eternal, but fragile. We don't appreciate something that won't disappear simply because we know, deep down, that it will always be there, that we will always have time to appreciate it –and that's also why it hurts so much when it is finally gone. We don't use what little time we have, and then we regret everything. I don't draw because I want it to last; I draw because I know my memories will fade away, and because I am not quite ready for this to happen, if that makes sense."_

He'd found himself scoffing indifferently, but these words had sparked something in him. She was the epitome of what she'd explained to him; fleeting, fragile…he had no doubt she would be gone, soon. They were all but fleeting shadows in Time, mere moments of existence bound to be forgotten after a few years. She was perfectly conscious of this, perfectly alright with it. It was one of her strengths too, to be able to accept her limits, and move on as though it did not matter. She had looked death in the eyes and told her, _"One day. But not now."_ And somehow, she was at peace. Of course, she was constantly plagued by a thousand worries, a thousand thoughts and wonders –but the day of her death, none of it would matter to her, and she would die peacefully.

There were so many things she did not realise about herself, he thought. She was always open, though she thought herself to be closed. Not a good quality for a shinobi, but as a person…it made her so precious. Somehow, she understood she lived for something bigger than her, something that deserved every sacrifice she could make –and if asked of her, she wouldn't bat an eyelash before throwing everything away –for what she believed to be right. He was certain that peculiar feature –the constant openness, the fact that she always held her hand out to everyone who might need it- would have quickly been stripped away, had she followed the regular shinobi path. And she didn't even seem aware of it, nor did she seem conscious of it being, essentially, a weakness, and that it needed to be at least toned down.

But, looking at those lifeless, unseeing eyes of hers…he wondered if it really was for the best.

"Kyaa! Senpai is in Tsuky-chan's room! Senpai has a crush on Tsuky-chan!"

A vein popped on his forehead. Deidara jerked around to face his bratty, annoying, new teammate.

"Fuck off, Tobi, yeah! I was just watching her!" Tobi froze and cocked his head to the side. Deidara felt his stomach drop with dread. At this point, Tobi was bound to-

"KYAAA! SENPAI IS A PERVERT! SENPAI IS WATCHING TSUKY-CHAN IN HER SLEEP!" Deidara lunged at him.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, TOBI! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"NOOOO! DON'T KILL TOBI, SENPAI! TOBI IS SORRY!"

Deidara proceeded to chase Tobi around the room with whatever weapon he got his hands on. He wasn't crazy enough to try to bomb the annoying idiot here, with Tsuky still being…out of it.

Somewhere deep in her mind, the screaming registered slowly, and a little voice in her head whispered 'hey, time to wake up and face the world, little one.'

She blinked once, twice, and her eyes finally focused on the wall. She stared at it for a few seconds, distantly wondering why she was looking at a wall –and then she remembered the screaming. She slowly regained control of her body, unfurling her legs and arms, before turning on her back. She raised herself on one hand, painfully aware of her joints' stiffness, and vaguely wondering why she was so sore –when the events of the day before caught up to her. She flinched under the blinding onslaught of emotions, ready to fall back into blissful numbness –but the rustling of the sheets didn't go unnoticed by the two men in the room.

"Tsuky-chan!' Tobi wailed. "Tobi was so worried you wouldn't wake up!"

Her eyes rested on the lone hole of his mask. How could he see with such a small opening?

"I'm glad you're awake, un. We have a mission."

She blinked again.

"…Deidara…? Did you…?" The blonde huffed.

"Yeah, I found you passed out outside. I don't know what kind of training the bastard put you through, but it had you unresponsive for almost a day and a half, un." Tsuky stayed quiet. She was still a bit groggy, but it was nothing a good meal and some exercise wouldn't cure. Physically, at least. Her mind and heart were another matter. She could still feel the raw, excruciating agony still lingering in her chest, the pure despair, the feeling of falling into the darkest pit with no hope of ever getting out, the feeling that everything had just-

She viciously pulled the dam on her feelings. Now was not the time to think, Deidara clearly expected her to follow him.

"Wait a minute…you said 'we'? As in, me included?" Deidara gave her a grin.

"Looks like the bastard really beat you up pretty bad, yeah. Didn't peg you as slow-minded."

Tsuky couldn't find it in herself to flush. Once upon a time, she'd have looked at her shoes in shame at having disappointing yet another person. But, while she cared what he thought about her…now, only Itachi's opinion could truly bring her down. What a change it was from not so long ago.

Deidara left mumbling something about getting breakfast, and she carefully left the comfort of the bed. She was hungry and a shower was in order. Badly.

It was strange how soothing hot water could be when upset. Itachi's words had scarred her deeply –even more because he was probably the one person she cared the most about, the person she trusted above everyone else. She should have seen it coming, she knew; what was she thinking? That he'd just admit the truth and acknowledge her feelings? She wasn't so naïve, even she knew that. The only conclusion was…she was trying to save him. She'd gathered that he was lonely and bore regret no one should have to bear, and somehow….didn't deserve the fear, the hatred, and everything he'd received up to now. But obviously, he didn't want anything from her. His words had sounded…forced. Untrue. As though he didn't really believe in what he was saying. Now that she was no longer shocked and confused, her sharp mind could analyze the scene clearly –and it didn't add up. Accusing her of projecting her feeling onto him, really? She had all but given up on them when she joined him, but that did not mean they had disappeared. True, she felt guilty for loving him; he was a criminal, after all, and until she had proved otherwise, he was still guilty of the Uchiha massacre. But all these little details….the picture, the medicine, his spying on her clan, the words he said to her…it was so frustrating. She had tiny pieces of a huge puzzle and had no idea what the hell was his plan. She'd never been good with the bigger picture.

The most evident conclusion, he was trying to send her back to Konoha. But bloody hell, why? It made no sense whatsoever. She was getting tired of his mind games.

She wasn't the only one involved in his plans, that much she was certain of.

And now that she thought about it…maybe it concerned the tailed beasts. Everyone had been pretty tight-lipped about what they were, but they seemed to be pretty powerful creatures –if the amount of chakra they'd extracted from Gaara was any indication. And that statue in which they were sealed…it had nine eyes, and one had opened once the extraction was over. Did this mean there were Nine tailed beasts? And that Akatsuki intended to acquire every single one of them? She shuddered. She didn't want to think about what they would do once they were all in their hands. The world had a lot to fear.

She didn't remember how many eyes had been opened on the statue…but she was certain it had been more than one. When they completed their goal…there would be a war.

Tsuky froze with dawning understanding.

Was it the reason for Itachi's behaviour? Was he preparing for war? Was he preparing _her_ for war? But…on which side? The Akatsuki? Konoha? A third party she didn't know about yet? Just thinking about it made her head hurt. Itachi's harsh words still echoed endlessly through her mind, and even though she could take a few steps back to properly analyze them –it didn't change the fact that it hurt, and deeply. Being rejected by your long-time crush –though she loathed calling it such- was hurtful in itself, but the way he did it…She flinched inwardly.

It would take time before she was back to normal.

She got out of the shower and prepared herself for the mission. Deidara hadn't given her any details, but from her epiphany in the shower –she realized they were most likely going to hunt a tailed beast. She didn't know for how long they would be gone, but truthfully it didn't matter –she was getting away from Itachi, if only for a short while. She needed to sort her thoughts out.

Tsuky methodically pulled out her belongings –bandages, soldier pills, some clothes, weapons and such- then grabbed her notebook on the nightstand.

Correction: _Tried_ to grab her notebook.

She frowned when her fingers met nothing where her notebook usually rested. She bend down and looked under the bed; nothing. Next to the wall? Nothing. The last time she'd used it was when she drew Itachi and Sasuke together, right before she had that disastrous talk with Itachi –Yesterday. She'd put it back in her bag when Itachi arrived, and now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember taking it out and putting it back on the nightstand, so it should have been in her bag –the one she was currently filling for her mission, and it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe someone had taken it? The only ones that had been in her room were Itachi, who wasn't the type to search through her belongings, Deidara, and-

"Have you lost anything?"

Tsuky jumped and looked above her shoulder. A bright, swirly orange mask met her surprised gaze, and she found herself shivering for unknown reasons. Tobi wasn't different from usual, his posture was the same, his voice was the same, but… _Since when did Tobi enter a room without making his presence known when he isn't trying to prank someone?_

"Ah, I, I lost my notebook…It's all my drawings, but I also wrote some rather personal things inside too…Itachi must have taken it after our last training session. I just hope no one has stolen it, because I don't want anyone laughing at what I've written…" _Not to mention I actually detailed every member's fighting style and techniques inside. If they found it, I'm going to be in so much trouble…_

Tobi remained quiet a short while, yet another oddity from him. There was a brief spark of chakra, so brief she thought her imagination and exhaustion were playing tricks on her mind, and then Tobi was back to his cheerful, annoying self, telling her Deidara-senpai was waiting for her at the entrance, and she should meet with him if she didn't want him to be mad. She nodded absently and allowed him to pull her along, wondering about the spark she felt. It had been too short to mean anything, but in these brief moments it had lasted…

The chakra had been dark and angry –like an ominous storm ready to unleash its fury on any soul unfortunate enough to cross its path at the wrong time.

She had the uncomfortable feeling she was going to be that unfortunate soul.

XxxX

Quite a distance away from her, Naruto and Sakura waited with anticipation.

Three days ago, Tsunade had summoned them –the time to confront Sasori's spy had come. Though the excitation had been greatly dampened by the knowledge Kakashi wouldn't accompany them and that they were stuck with Yamato –a bit weird, but okay- and Sai –a total, insufferable weirdo, a jerk completely dislikeable and insensitive- they still waited anxiously for the spy to appear. Yamato had taken the appearance of Sasori and was standing near the bridge –perfectly still, save for the occasional grumbling to stay in character. Any moment now, and they would finally get a clue as to where Sas-

There was a sudden, screeching noise –and a blinding light. Something exploded in tiny pieces that flew at them like senbons –and Sakura was the first to understand what had happened. She ran out of the bushes towards Yamato, whose wooden disguise had exploded, Naruto close on her heels. She reached the motionless body and her hands glowed bright green as she rushed to save his life –he was bleeding heavily, having been caught completely off-guard by the attack. But it had been perfect; whoever had hit him hadn't wanted to kill him yet, just incapacitate him probably long enough to interrogate him. But why? Did Orochimaru's spy suspect something? How? They hadn't even st-

"Tch…you're not Sasori of the red sand."

Her blood ran cold, and only her training as a medic allowed her to stay focused on closing the wounds, though her hands shook as she did so. There was no way. That voice was deeper and colder than she remembered, but she had so often fantasized about it in the past that it was as familiar as her own, now. She could recognize it in a heartbeat, no matter how many years had gone by, but _there was just no way he was here!_ He just couldn't be. He couldn't be Sasori's spy.

Naruto's voice rang like a tolling bell over the bridge.

"…Sasuke…What are you doing here…?" He was in shock. He did not expect to see him so soon, didn't expect him, of all people, to be Sasori's spy. It did not make sense. Sasuke wasn't in the Sound for long enough –he'd never let himself become a spy, working for someone else, and he wouldn't work for an Akatsuki member.

Yet before them he stood, on the other side of the bridge. He was dressed in swift blue pants with the purple rope, trademark of the Sound, resting on his hips. A grey jacket protected his torso, and a long sword sat in between his shoulder blades. He was taller, colder, and much, _much_ more powerful. They would have been fools to underestimate him. Especially since they could now sense three hidden chakras in the trees somewhere behind him –too powerful to ignore.

Sasuke regarded them with a bored gaze.

"…Naruto, Sakura." He greeted indifferently. "Where is Kakashi?"

There was no real question in his words, no real interest. His tone was blank, disinterested. He was no longer the Sasuke they knew –but his attire and his chakra made it obvious enough.

While Sakura shakingly remained focused on Yamato, unconscious on the grass, Naruto slowly got over his shock. His best friend was standing before him for the first time since he left. It was an opportunity he couldn't miss –regardless of the fact that they didn't come for it. His lips parted and his thoughts flew out of his mouth in rapid succession.

"…Sasuke, come back to Konoha! That snake just want your body, and you can't throw your life away for revenge! You have friends in Konoha, who-"

"Hn. Konoha's incompetence is showing again. I killed Orochimaru a while ago."

The two friends both fell quiet. Yamato let out a small groan of pain that had Sakura refocusing on his wounds. He kept bleeding despite her efforts; she needed to stabilize him, but she couldn't if they were about to fight. And as much as she desperately wanted to bring Sasuke back –as much as Naruto- their team was in no state to take him on, much less his three teammates. She was lucid enough to understand this, but Naruto she wasn't certain.

"…You…you killed him…? Then why haven't you come back already, you bastard! We've all been waiting for you! And we'd have already rescued Tsuky-chan if you had come b-"

"What happened to Tsuky?"

His posture, which had been aloof and calm, grew tense and focused. His voice had been abrupt and sharp, so much that Sakura barely restrained herself from bolting, her whole being filled with anxiousness. She was used not to sense any emotion in his voice, and hearing the sudden interest in his tone –with a bit of concern too, she could have sworn it- was shocking. But it gave her hope, too; if he could still care about someone, then he wasn't lost to the darkness. They could still bring him back.

But giving off intelligence to an enemy was definitely not a good idea. Only god knew how he'd react if he learnt that-

"Tsuky-chan was taken by the Akatsuki. Your brother's the one who took her." Sakura wanted to pull her own hair out at Naruto's foolishness.

After hearing this new development Sasuke didn't react outwardly, but the narrowing of his eyes and the sudden spike of chakra were a dead giveaway to his fury. Anytime now he was going to leave, Naruto would run after him and _where the hell was their jerk of a teammate!_

Sai had been hidden away from them, but he did not seem to want to come out anytime soon. Then again, they had yet to engage in a fight, their captain was down and they were outnumbered. Maybe it was for the best that he stayed hidden –at least for now. But it was only a matter of time before something happened now, be it Naruto charging or Sasuke leaving –whichever would come first. She decided to try her luck.

Turning so she was facing Sasuke without leaving Yamato's side, she spoke up.

"Sasuke-kun…we need you. We're going after the Akatsuki to help her, but your help would make it so much easier. She is your friend, too. We must-"

"I could care less about what Konoha will do. I am going after my brother…Stay out of my way. You'd only hinder me."

He was gone in a flash, and Sakura opened her mouth to shout at Naruto to stay put, expecting him to bolt after his friend –but she didn't need to, much to her surprise. Her blonde teammate remained where he was, staring off where Sasuke had disappeared. She couldn't see it, but he had a contemplative look on his face.

Tsuky was very discreet and private –they never knew she was friends with them all until she disappeared. They'd gathered she was close to Sasuke –but not how close they were. His reaction after learning the news…Naruto had a feeling Sasuke was going to try and rescue her –after all, she was in his brother's hands. One more reason for going after him.

He finally turned around to look at his teammates –Sai had gotten out of his hiding place. The blonde watched in silence as Yamato's wounds began to close while Sai left to check the perimeter. The two were alone.

A heavy silence fell upon them both. The shock of seeing their lost teammate again, the shortness of their conversation was too much to bear. Sasuke had obviously come here looking for Sasori –probably in hopes of learning something about his brother's whereabouts. But he had stumbled upon them instead, and while they had learned more than they expected –Orochimaru being dead, and Sasuke now actively chasing his brother- he had learned about Tsuky's predicament, and had seemed concerned. There was more to them both than they imagined –but then again, they were starting to realize that when Tsuky was concerned, there was always more to the situation than they realized. Sakura wondered inwardly if they would ever understand everything.

She was the first to speak, as Yamato's wounds finally closed.

"…He was…different." Her voice was quiet, hesitant. "It's only a matter of time now, before he achieves his revenge." _And decide whether he wants to come back to us_ went unsaid, but they both heard it. The future was uncertain, but everything would change soon. They had been preparing for it for the past three years, and now it was looming right over the horizon.

"He's still there, Sakura-chan. He cares about her, even if he won't show it. We can still bring him back." Sakura smiled half-heartedly.

"It seems everything revolves around her, now…The Akatsuki, Sasuke-kun, you…for someone who didn't like trouble, she's surprisingly smacked in the middle of it." The medic mused. Naruto shrugged.

"She is our precious friend," He said, cerulean eyes looking at straight at her, "but she managed to catch the attention of the wrong people. It's not a good combination if you want to avoid trouble."

His tone was light-hearted, yet the implications were anything but. It seemed the situation got worst and worst as the hours passed. The blonde looked up into the clear blue sky.

"…There's only one way now, Sakura-chan. And if it works…we'll retrieve both Sasuke and Tsuky." They shared a grim, knowing look. Sakura had reached the same conclusion.

"…We must hunt Uchiha Itachi down."

XxxX

Ibiki stared impassively at the notebook in front of him. Were he anyone else, his jaw would be hanging wide open and his dark eyes would be ready to bulge out of their sockets.

Because, resting innocently on Tsuky's bed in the Nowhara compound, was the thing that would have saved them a lot of trouble in their investigation –the key to the mystery.

Tsuky's diary.

He would have been overjoyed, if it wasn't for the fact they'd already searched through this part of the compound –thrice- and it had never been there. Someone had put it here, so he would find it –none of the clan members came to her room. It had been closed since the beginning of the investigation –though it had yielded very little results. And now, this. Maybe someone in the clan had known all along, and had waited until they knew enough to confirm the truth? Why? It smelt like a trap –but there was none, he'd checked. Four times. But then again, maybe the trap wasn't a physical one –but resided in what the diary was going to say. He'd just read the first page –the one that said,

 _2_ _nd_ _August - 8 years old_

 _Dear diary,_

 _My name is Nowhara Tsuky, and I am eight years old. Daddy gave me this book for my birthday, but I never writed in it before. He is gone. The adults say he 'went to heaven' but I know it's not true. He will never come back, because he is dead. He was killed by bad people. He leaved me all alone with Mother and Brother. They told me I couldn't become a_ _shina_ _-_ _shuno_ _-_ _shinu_ _\- a ninja like him. I don't know why._

 _What will happen now?_

The ink was old, almost faded now; specialists revealed it had been years since it was written, at least five. He was certain it had been written by Tsuky herself; but where was it until now? Why was it reappearing so suddenly –and so obviously? As though whoever brought it _wanted_ Ibiki to have a look at it?

There was one way to be certain of it; if Tsuky had written inside until at least her departure, then they could finally close the lid on the mystery, confirming what was, for now, merely the fruit of careful analysis, with no real, tangible proof. Without further delay, Ibiki reopened the notebook and started to shift through the pages, skipping some entries, staring longer at others. It was an invasion of privacy –but the notebook had landed in his hands, and he was in the middle of an investigation. It did not matter if he read personal things about her –such as the obvious depression she experienced through the years, as well as the abuse she went through at Ayano's hand. He couldn't help but wonder how she had lasted so long before trying to take her own life –and wasn't exactly surprised when she mentioned Uchiha Itachi. That's what they had deduced so far –way too easily for his taste. As though someone had _wanted_ them to know.

 _17_ _th_ _March - 14 years old_

 _Dear diary,_

 _Something is wrong. I've been training for the past few weeks, and I'm certain of it. Someone is watching me._

 _But that person does not show himself. The chakra signature is somewhat familiar, it resembles Sasuke's. I thought for a while that it was Uchiha Itachi, but…that's illogical. Why would he waste time watching me? I'm no one. Not important. And yet, I have the nagging feeling something's waiting just around the corner. Whoever that person is, I think he's going to show himself pretty soon. I just hope I won't regret it._

 _I've made little to no progress. I'm stuck. I know jutsus, I can throw kunai and shuriken, but I'm slow. I don't react fast enough. I'm not a quick thinker. I'm stuck at the level I am. And I don't know what to do._

 _28_ _th_ _March - 14 years old_

 _Bloody hell._

 _Uchiha Itachi._

 _That's who my stalker was._

 _Is it normal that I just want to jump off a cliff and die? No scratch that, I already tried. He won't let me. I just don't understand. Why did he spend weeks watching me? Why does he want to train me? I have nothing to offer. But I can't refuse, can I? He does not look like he would take no for an answer. Damn it._

 _He is frightening. Powerful and cold. He wants something from me, something that requires training me –and I don't like it. I should report him right away, but I know he will evade the ANBU long before they even begin to pose a real threat. And he promised retaliation if I did, too…What do I do…?_

 _He is offering me what I always wanted: training. But how can I look at myself in the mirror after befriending an enemy? And Sasuke's brother, too. This would be the worst kind of betrayal._

 _But I don't really have a choice, do I? I don't want to betray Konoha. I'll die first._

 _I guess I'll just take what he has to offer –and see what he asks in return. If I suddenly disappear, well…I guess you will know what happened to me._

 _This is the beginning of a completely different chapter in my life. I just hope it won't end blowing up in my face._

Ibiki restrained a snort at that last line. Of course it was going to blow up in her face, though one good point for her was that it sounded as though he'd threatened her. This would help her case.

And it was interesting to note he actually prevented her from killing herself. Odd. The Uchiha had never cared for anyone but himself –it meant he was expecting something from her. He'd manipulated her into giving him what he wanted, then. Yet another good point.

He kept reading through them, reading about her training and jotting notes about the techniques she developed –with that of the Uchiha and his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, who had apparently helped a bit with her training. Her diary confirmed a good part of what they had deduced so far –Itachi training her, the awful treatment she had endured within her clan, the arranged marriage- and then the desperate choice she had had to make.

 _18_ _th_ _October 15 years old_

 _Damn._

 _Why does it happen only to me…?_

 _I knew there was a catch when he started training me. I knew he wanted something, something I probably wouldn't be willing to give. And now, I'm afraid I won't have the luxury of choosing. If I can make a choice, that is. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place._

 _Marry the bloody bastard, or join Akatsuki._

 _That's the alternative he gave me. That's what his purpose for training me was, what he wanted since the beginning._

 _He gave me a week to decide. If I leave with him, we're never going back. I'll leave my friends and my home behind. I'll betray everything I ever fought for._

 _I'll fight against them, eventually. I'll have to see the look of utter betrayal and shame in their eyes. Sasuke would never forgive me for siding with his brother._

 _His brother…and the Akatsuki. The biggest criminal organization in the whole world, an environment of violence and cruelty. Could I really last more than five second with them…? Itachi seemed to think so, but I'm not stupid enough to believe he will always protect me. Because he won't, if only to make certain I get stronger. I have no idea what my life might be like if I join them._

 _But if I stay…my life's going to end now. Marrying this man will ensure I never live again. I will be nothing but his trophy wife, expected to keep the house running, give him heirs, ensure his reputation. What kind of life is that? I've always craved freedom. No, I always wanted to be strong enough, not to rely on anyone. And training as a kunoichi did just that. I wanted to protect what I hold dear. I wanted to fight. I never wanted to feel so helpless again, when the mist shinobis kidnapped Hinata. I remember thinking how it could have been anyone –me included. She has been rescued, of course, but that did not change my feelings. If I stay…I'd give up on that, on everything I ever learned with Itachi._

 _Can you really ask me to forsake my life for something that never quite made me happy, in any way? Konoha is just the place I was born in, right? I never felt happy there._

… _But my misery can be directly linked to the clan. Konoha did nothing wrong to me. Hell, Sandaime was always kind to me whenever we saw him on the streets, playing when we were young. Being a part of a clan, he couldn't interfere. I can't resent him for that. I can't resent Konoha for what happened to me –and I won't. The responsible are my family. Yet, I still feel the need to please them, to fit in with them. Why? I should be impatient to leave. I am not. I don't want to betray Konoha –I don't want to marry._

 _What must I do…?_

The next few entries depicted her frustrated reflexions. Some contained multiples crosses and arrows linking several ideas together, before being crossed out or erased. Some were just mindless doodling with sudden gashes in the middle of the page; one had even obviously been ripped away in frustrated anguish. In another, the word GODDAMMNIT had been written all over the page. But some of the entries actually made sense.

 _20_ _th_ _October - 15 years old_

 _REASONS TO LEAVE_

 _-Not marrying the bastard_

 _-Being free_

 _-Leaving the clan_

 _-fulfilling my dream_

 _-Being with Itachi_

 _-No monotonous life_

 _REASONS TO STAY_

 _-Security_

 _-Not betraying Konoha/my friends/my clan_

 _-Respecting the clan's wishes_

…

 _I'm so screwed._

This one was probably the clearest. Short, to the point, easily conveying her frustration and anguish.

But then…he stumbled upon an entry he wasn't expecting. He read it with a frown that became a disbelieving stare as his reading progressed.

There were entries from after her departure –up to three days ago.

And the entries contained really interesting information. Information he would kill to get his hands on, and there it was, handed to him on a silver platter.

A portrait of every single Akatsuki member, with a detailed explanation of their fighting styles and techniques. A slow, sadistic grin stretched on his lips.

"Tell Hokage-sama we may have found a way to defeat the entire Akatsuki."

XxxX

Sooo…yeah. That's it.

If you want to debate on Sakura's character, that's fine, go ahead. I know people usually dislike her a lot, and I understand that. She won't have a significant importance in this story, if you're worried about it.

Leave a review!


	9. When the Shadows steal the Moon

Chapter 8: When the shadows steal the Moon

…I feel like I spend more time apologising than writing. Sorry, I totally forgot about this chapter (I DID tell you to remind me to update xD)

On another note, the next chapter is almost ready (but I'm not making any promise, since I can't keep them anyway.)

Sooo….enjoy?

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto's not mine

XxxX

"Oooh, look, senpai! A rock!"

"…"

"And flowers! They would look so pretty on senpai's bomb thingy~"

"Just focus on the mission, yeah."

"Eh…what are we looking for again?"

"…Are you serious?"

"Tobi's a good boy!"

"Get lost, yeah."

"Don't be so mean, Deidara-senpai!"

"Just shut up, yeah!"

"Tobi thinks senpai is very cute!"

"Tobi…."

"I'm a school girl in love with her senpai~"

"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YEAH!"

Tsuky yawned. The first few hours, she had tried to interfere –only to realise how pointless it was. It seemed Tobi was doing his best to piss the blond bomber off, and was doing a great job at it. She wondered why Leader had paired the two –but it was probably because Hidan and Kakuzu would have killed him a long time ago, while Itachi and Kisame worked too well together to change partners. So the blond was stuck, and she with them. Too bad.

She'd tuned them out long ago, mulling about everything. Deidara had confirmed what she'd guessed –they were hunting the Sanbi, and Akatsuki wanted to collect all the nine tailed-beasts.

She had to interfere.

The shinobi world wouldn't stand a chance if they captured them all. And forceful peace wasn't true peace. It would be a rule of tyranny, where few people had the right of life and death on anyone. And looking at the two before her, she doubted peace was their goal. Maybe they were just a mean to an end? They knew their leader's ultimate goal –but why did they follow him? Did he promise something to them? The only time she'd asked Kisame about it, he told her most of them were already rogue ninja when they were recruited –with nowhere to go. The organization just gave them a safe haven, people to see and talk to. He told her sharks lived alone –but humans weren't meant to. It was in their nature to seek companionship –and being the criminals they were, it was a luxury they more often than not couldn't afford.

She wondered if Itachi felt the same.

"Oh, senpai! Look! A village!"

"I saw, yeah. Stupid."

"You're so meeeeeean, senpai!"

Tsuky raised her head. Ahead of them, a small town resided. She knew what that meant; intel gathering. They would start asking around for the jinchuriki's whereabouts, and then they'd get going –or go hunting, depending on what clues they could find. Deep down, Tsuky hoped they would find none –but it was wishful thinking, and she knew it. Jinchurikis had a tendency to be known and feared everywhere.

Then, she spotted something that lifted her spirits –somewhat.

"Hey, there's a dango shop before the town. Why don't we stop here?"

"Yay! Tobi loves dango! The last to arrive is payiiiiiiiiiiing!"

…And Tobi sprinted towards the small, wooden hut a few meters ahead. Deidara sweat dropped.

"Why the hell did Leader…" he muttered, resuming his walk –before a dark blur ran past him.

"What the-?"

"Sorry, Deidara! But I don't want to pay for the food!"

The blonde cursed, and ran after her. Damn these two! Couldn't they act more like the fearsome, deadly criminals they were?

…Then he realised it was a lost cause. Tobi wouldn't scare anyone with that bright, swirly, childish mask on his face and Tsuky…

Tsuky was just too kind.

When he arrived at the dango shop, they were in the process of ordering. The owner directed them to a small table by the window, and the strange team sat down while waiting for their food. Deidara glanced around; the shop was nearly empty. It would do.

They enjoyed their tea in a silence only broken by Tobi's incessant chatter. But no matter how closely Tsuky paid attention to him, she could not see what was under his mask. He was much like Kakashi on that matter.

A fond smile rested on her lips at the thought of Kakashi. How many times had she heard Naruto complain at his tardiness, laziness, or perviness? The last one made her chuckle softly. She wondered how they were doing, all of them. She'd seen team Gai and team 7, but she missed the others. Did Shikamaru still gaze at the clouds in the afternoon? Did Choji still get mad when called fat? What about Shino and his insects? Hinata and her quiet strength? She hoped she finally got the courage to confess to Naruto. War meant casualties, people dying that would forever be missed, things left unsaid…

Her smile disappeared with the thought. _Itachi…_

What was going on in his mind? Did he think about his death, sometimes? She knew she thought about it –a lot. But he never said anything.

Tsuky sipped her tea, silently. Sometimes, she could fool herself into believing everything was alright –believe that she was just sitting at a dango shop, enjoying a few sweets with friends without a care in the world. Pretending she did not have a thousand worries, pretending she could just live, for once –without worrying over the future.

But knowing what she did, she couldn't. If Itachi was dying, then either he'd done everything he could to prevent it and it didn't work –or he felt he deserved it, and let it happen. She couldn't help him until he spoke to her, and she knew perfectly well he wouldn't. And in this case…

 _I have to enjoy every few moments I have left with him. I need to make the best of what we have –and trust him to give me enough clues to survive when he's…when he's…_

Gone.

She didn't know how long he would be alive for. But until then, she would do her damn best to get him to open up to her –because she would forever regret it if she didn't.

She suddenly noticed that both Deidara and Tobi had finished their tea and dangos, and the blonde was now staring at her with an unreadable gaze. One she understood well enough since she entered the Akatsuki.

A look that said, 'I don't know why the heck you are here, when we're supposed to keep you away from our mission.' She'd gotten it several times now, from Kisame and Hidan, mostly. She was used to being left behind.

"Tobi and I will be going into town to ask about the beast, un. We'll be back in an hour."

She nodded, letting her shoulders drop. She wasn't expecting him to include her, but it still hurt to hear it. Both rose while she remained seated.

"And don't think about leaving, Tsuky. I will catch you, yeah." She waved at him indifferently, closing her eyes. She had too much things to do to leave now, anyway. Such as getting Itachi to tell her everything, becoming stronger, thwarting Akatsuki's plans, preventing Sasuke and Itachi's fi-

Her eyes snapped open. Bloody hell. She'd forgotten that peculiar detail.

She'd learned after their mission to Suna that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru –and had to be watched carefully, in case he began to cause problems.

That meant he was now tracking Itachi –probably. Did Itachi want to fight him? Sasuke had told her before that, the night of the massacre, Itachi had said to come and fight him once he was strong enough. And Itachi was dying.

…How close were they from each other? Being sick, Itachi would lose; she was pretty sure of that. Did he count on it? Did he _want_ to die at his brother's hands? But he cared about him…

She buried her head in her arms.

"…Why must you be so confusing…"

She stayed in the same position for a while, until her muscles began to ache –and she straightened. Tsuky gazed at the scenery outside the window, deep in thoughts. Before her, a small cup of lemon tea that she had ordered before rested, untouched and slowly growing colder with the minutes. Deidara and Tobi had probably split to cover more ground, and the blonde had told her to stay in the small dango shop until they returned; he'd probably received orders to keep her out of the way, when they fought the jinchuuriki. It should have been strange to leave her alone like this –she could escape anytime, supposedly. But Deidara had warned before leaving that he would find her if she left –and she had no doubt that he would succeed. She wasn't skilled enough to cover her tracks, even if she had never really tested that peculiar skill of hers. She did not want to take the risk.

And so she remained obediently inside the dango shop, having been there for the past thirty minutes or so. She'd asked for dango sticks a short while ago –though she couldn't exactly remember what she had ordered. It didn't really matter, anyway. She was one of the few people inside.

The small bell at the door jingled softly, signalling the entrance of a customer, but she did not notice. Tsuky let her thoughts flow, without really trying to grasp the ideas currently evading her tired mind. She no longer understood anything, just that she was caught in the middle of everything –and having no guess as to what that 'everything' was. She was starting to get fed up with being out of the loop, especially since it seemed everyone knew except her. Was it because she was weak? No one took her seriously. If Pein really thought of her as a future member, then why wasn't he including her in their missions? Not that she minded –killing innocents was definitely not something she wanted to partake in. They all knew her better than she knew herself, knew her future before she understood even her present, and it was really getting on her n–

"…Tsuky."

A hand landed on her shoulder, keeping her firmly locked in place. Dark hair brushed her cheeks, longer than she remembered. A slight puff of air breezed by her ear. She froze, dread and disbelief battling in the pit of her stomach. Only two persons she knew fit that description –and one of them was back at the Akatsuki Headquarters…

"…of all the places, I didn't expect to see you there."

She turned her head, regarding the man behind her from the corner of her eyes. The last time she'd seen him was three years ago –and he wasn't anything like what she remembered. Taller, colder, more impassive –his aura was more at peace than before, but it was because determination had replaced anger and fear. It wasn't as obviously volatile, but it was much, much more dangerous.

It dawned on her that she wasn't safe anymore.

"…Sasuke."

He straightened from his bend position over her shoulder, but his hand stayed in place. She could feel his fingers digging firmly on her shoulder blade, and it made her feel wary –he expected her to try and bolt. He did not trust her, but then again, she gave him no reason to. He remembered the civilian, defenceless heiress, whom had supposedly been abducted by Itachi –and he met a trained kunoichi, sitting quietly, alone, at a dango shop, and so lost in thoughts and relaxed she didn't even feel him coming. He couldn't know what to expect –and he hadn't survived three years in the snake's lair without being wary of what he didn't know.

"…What are you doing here…?"

She wasn't aware she'd spoken out loud until she heard him chuckle. His breath tickled her skin, and she found herself shivering –from fear or something else, she didn't know.

"…I should be the one asking you this, Tsuky." He paused, shifting until he'd fully entered her field of vision. "I thought my brother had taken you –yet here you are, alone, and drinking tea, of all things."

Tsuky shrunk under his burning gaze. His sharingan was off, but it felt as though he could read her very soul –and she hated that. She had no answer for him –her lips refused to part, and her body couldn't move. What to do? What to say? The truth? He'd kill her. A lie? He'd pick up on it immediately. What if Deidara and Tobi came back? The blonde hated Sasuke –because he was Itachi's brother. She did not want to imagine what would happen if they met.

There was a forceful tug on her wrist –she was unaware his hand had dropped from her shoulder– and she was pulled to her feet. She briefly thought that she should really start paying closer attention to her surroundings before Sasuke led her outside.

"Come."

"…ah, wait! I can't! Hey!"

Her protests fell on deaf ears. Sasuke refused to let her go and proceeded to drag her with him wherever the hell he intended to go. Uneasiness spread through her whole being. She didn't know where he intended to drag her, but it couldn't be good. On one hand, Konoha was looking for him, and she'd escape the Akatsuki. But on the other hand…

…If he learned everything she'd done so far, there was no telling how he'd react, although she was pretty sure killing her was a good guess. She used to know him, when he still respected the laws and the morals he grew up with –but since he'd thrown everything to the wind, she could be certain of nothing. Well, except for the fact he'd ask for a full explanation before doing anything. He must still care about her. She hoped.

But it was too risky. Deidara would look for her and there would be a confrontation –one that would end in blood and tears. She didn't want that. Besides, she wasn't in danger with the Akastuki, and Itachi had a plan –something that didn't involve Sasuke. She had to trust him –even though she no longer knew what was happening around her. She had to leave.

…which would be much easier if he wasn't holding her wrist. His grip was strong, and no matter how hard she tried to claw at his hand or drag her feet, nothing seemed to work –until she remembered that she was a _kunoichi_ , goddamnit, and that the man who would succeed in ordering her around wasn't born yet.

Before she actually thought her move through, her left leg shot out towards his face with enough strength to break his jaw. Only his lightning-fast reflexes saved him from some severe pain and damage, releasing her and jumping back to avoid the hit. Tsuky used her momentum to lay her hands on the ground and propel herself backward –landing a safe five meters away. She crouched low on her feet, kunai raised defensively before her. Sasuke looked at her impassively –but she'd known him long enough. His jaw was ticking slightly, his left hand twitching with the impulse to grab his blade –he had been surprised. Surprised and displeased that she'd escaped his clutches. Tsuky took a deep breath to calm herself.

She would need all her wits if she wanted to get out of this unscathed.

"…I cannot follow you, Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed. He'd never liked being rejected, and not being in control. _A result of that traumatic night where he's been completely helpless_ , she thought. His hand finally reached the handle of his blade, but he didn't draw. A fight would be unavoidable.

"…Why?"

Flat tone, yet full of warning. She had a feeling no matter the reason she gave him, he wouldn't actually listen to her. She had a grim smile. She hoped she would be able to get out of here without having to explain how she could f-

"And where did you learn to fight?"

Damn. Of course he'd ask, stupid.

Tsuky clenched her jaw.

"…It doesn't matter. You have your goals, I have mine. They don't cross."

The Sharingan swirled in his eyes, and he drew his blade. Tsuky tensed and readied herself.

"…We need to talk. Either you come with me willingly, or I will have to knock you out."

A heavy silence fell upon the two. Neither would back out.

A few leaves blew past her ears, tangling in her long, beautiful hair. The wind carried towards him a soft scent of rivers and roses, a scent that used to calm his troubled mind. But she was no longer the same, was she? This fierce girl –no, woman- standing before him was different. And he was just beginning to realise how much.

His grip tightened on Kusanagi.

"…So be it."

He swiped his blade in a wide arch, aiming the blunt edge at her neck. He came at her at full speed, hoping to finish it quickly and painlessly –but failed. With the gracefulness of a swan, Tsuky spun out of the way, brushing against his hand –and aiming to punch his wrist in the process. His sharp eyes saw it coming and before she could react, his elbow caught her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She skidded back to regain her footing and he followed with a swift move, intending to strike at her temple –when she drew her own blade and blocked it. He frowned minutely; he was certain she wasn't carrying one. Where did it come from? He didn't have time to reflect on it as she immediately engaged him in a flurry of swipes and strikes, never winning, but never losing either. What Tsuky lacked in strength, she made up for it in agility. She was much more flexible than he was, but he was faster and stronger. She didn't hold any illusion as to who the winner would be.

 _'_ _When faced with an opponent stronger than you are, analyse him. Find his weakness, and use it against him. For many, arrogance will be their downfall. Let him underestimate you, and when he least expects it, strike. Be the spider catching the unsuspecting fly.'_

She was remembering Itachi's lessons, and at the best time possible. Sasuke's face was unreadable –but she doubted she'd manage to catch him off guard. The Sharingan would protect him.

 _'_ _If you can't fight, hide. Distract him until your very existence has vanished from his mind. A shinobi dances in the darkness. He blends in with them. He does not hide in the shadows, he_ _ **becomes**_ _the shadows.'_

Yeah, right. She'd never understood that one. But distracting him might work. If he stopped seeing her for a few seconds, she should be able to hide her presence –until he left, or Deidara came back. Sasuke wouldn't risk fighting both him and Tobi –at least she dearly hoped not– and the blonde wouldn't hold his personal grudges before the mission. There were more 'ifs' in her plan than she liked, but she didn't see another way.

Her only advantage over Sasuke was that he wasn't aiming to kill. He was holding back, and as long as he was –she should be able to do something.

But before she could try anything, she felt a small shift in the air –one that Itachi had spent hours upon hours teaching her how to recognise it, for being able to counter it was useless if she couldn't pick up on its presence.

Genjutsu.

She mentally cursed. She knew of only one way to dispel it –Itachi had tried teaching her other methods, but her chakra control wasn't good enough. Spiking her chakra at once was something that left her feeling exhausted and dizzy –something she couldn't afford to be right now. _It was my best shot at surprising him. Guess I'll have to find something else…_

Sharingan eyes met with deep sapphire over their clashing blades –and Sasuke's eyes widened in alarm when the soulful pupils distorted into a shape he did not recognise, successfully dispelling the genjutsu. He felt something trying to pull at his mind, the feeling closely resembling being pulled in the Tsukuyomi –and Sasuke broke the contact and flipped backward, putting as much distance as he could between them, looking –if barely- disturbed by the new shape of her eyes.

Tsuky didn't try to close the distance. She could hold her own with her katana, but being away from her opponent gave her more confidence. She was a long-ranged fighter first and foremost –but she was proficient in both close and long-range.

Sasuke was standing on the other side of the clearing, looking warily at her. He was beginning to realise he wouldn't be able to take her out if he kept holding back –but he didn't want to hurt her. She was still one of his few precious people, and he wasn't sure if she could handle it, though she seemed to be full of surprises…

"…You never told me you had a bloodline." Tsuky frowned. She could almost hear the accusation in his voice, the anger, the pain…he had an issue with trusting people. It felt like a blow to her gut when she realised he thought she didn't trust him. He thought…she had betrayed him. No, he couldn't think that! He might have not told her of his plans, might have left everything, might have hurt everyone…but he was still her friend, though she no longer knew him. She was bound to lose him in the future, she knew and despaired –but not like that.

She didn't want to lose him because of false assumptions.

"…I unlocked it after you left. I didn't even know about it until I sneaked in my clan's meeting room…"

"But you were obviously training before I left, weren't you? Hn. You lied to me about that."

"You never told of your plans either, Sasuke! Yes, you never knew everything about me, but I never knew everything about you either! That makes us even." She argued, fuming. No way was he going to blame her for something he did, too!

She was ready to launch her next jutsu –when Sasuke's expression made her pause. There was something in his eyes, something she never saw before…something she couldn't say whether she liked or not. She stayed on guard, blade raised firmly between her hands, slightly crouched for better mobility. Her hoshigan eyes lost nothing of their battle, ready to attack or defend herself in a moment's notice; her gaze held a fierceness and a determination Sasuke had never seen before. He remembered the reserved girl who never knew how to stand up for herself –but excelled at doing so for others. He remembered someone who had been frail and weak, delicate. He remembered the girl with the heart of a protector, the mind of a victim, and the body of a civilian. But now…

Now, it became clear just how much she had grown while he'd been gone. She was frail no longer. She'd hardened, strengthened her mind, body and soul; but her heart –or what little he'd seen of it –was the same. He was ready to bet she was trying to protect him from Itachi, for no matter what had happened to her –and he would find out- she was still his friend.

Except she was no longer the same.

How could someone become so different –and yet still be so easily recognisable?

Her eyes still carried a thousand worries. She still nervously rubbed her nose with her index when she didn't know what to say. Still tapped her foot on the ground when she was annoyed or irritated. But she was different.

And seeing her now, facing him with a perfectly guarded stance, a katana held lightly but confidently in her hands, he realised just how different she really was.

And he wasn't there to see.

"…You changed." He whispered, and the hoshigan faded from her eyes at these words. Somehow, she knew he didn't mean her training. Her lashes lowered over her eyes.

"…I learned to hold my head high before those who wanted to break me down," she answered softly. "I learned to bite where before I cowered. I learned to parry, to hold my ground; to protect what I held dear, no matter the cost. I learned never to give up. But, most of all…" She paused. This lesson was perhaps the most important Itachi had ever taught her. For others, it might have been obvious. It might have been nothing. But, for her…for her, it was everything.

She planted her gaze in his, and her midnight blue eyes shone with a tranquil confidence.

"…I learned that there's no such thing as a life worth throwing away."

Her message was clear. No longer would she bow down to anyone. She wouldn't break, no more. And she would never yield to him.

His jaw tightened, and Tsuky gave him a gentle smile. They both knew how it would end –but she would make damn certain he didn't walk away unscathed. It was a test she could not fail. It would be the proof of how much stronger she'd become.

The very air stilled around them.

Their blades clashed with an echoing cry.

XxxX

"…I see."

Team 7 stood quietly before the blond Hokage. She didn't quite know whether to label the mission as a success or a failure; their goal had been to gather intel on Sasuke and Orochimaru –which they had, even though it wasn't what they had expected. Orochimaru was dead, they had no clue where Sasuke was –and on top of that, he now knew the situation about Tsuky. But maybe they could turn this to their advantage.

There was a knock on the door, and the rest of the Rookie eleven came in along with Kakashi and, to everyone's surprise, Morino ibiki. Tsunade straightened.

"Alright, everyone, I'll be blunt. Orochimaru is dead, and Uchiha Sasuke is currently looking for his brother to kill him." There were several gasps and whispers. No one expected that. The blonde woman continued.

"It also appears that Sasuke was made aware of the situation with Nowhara Tsuky –and might have decided to pursue her." She glared half-heartedly at Naruto, but the blonde looked completely unrepentant.

"She was his friend, baa-chan." He stated confidently. "He won't let Itachi take another of his precious people away."

"Wait a minute, that's Sasuke we're talking about." Kiba stated, frowning. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"You're wrong! He does care, he just doesn't show it!"

"He tried to kill you, Naruto." Shikamaru reminded him. "And he made it clear his revenge was the only thing that mattered to him –he betrayed us all for it. Including her."

"Yeah, Shikamaru's right."

"Honestly, I don't know."

"I think it's a lost cause."

"You don't know him like I do!"

"I know enough!"

"I agree with Naruto."

Sakura's voice made them all shut up. Ino approached her hesitantly.

"Forehead…we all know how much you want to believe in him, but-"

"Naruto didn't tell him straight ahead. Sasuke asked about her."

This time, no one dared speaking up. Sasuke never asked about anyone –the fact that he did…

"…So troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

"Anyway, it is not important. Tsuky is in Itachi's hands, and Sasuke is chasing Itachi. Which means, there is but one course of action we can take now, and we'll be killing three birds with one stone. But before that," she nodded at Ibiki, "there has been new developments on Tsuky's case." Ibiki took a step forward, and the others watched him with interest.

"Early this morning at precisely 7:34 a.m. we entered Nowhara Tsuky's room in the Nowhara Compound –which we had already checked beforehand. On her bed in plain sight was a notebook we identified as Tsuky's diary."

"There were no traps so my team searched through it for information. We managed to confirm pretty much everything we had guessed up to now, with a few clarifications.

"Nowhara has been mentally abused for five years. This include lack of acknowledgement, constant belittlement, extreme retribution in case of disobedience and forbidding her from doing other than what they had decided, among others."

A shudder went through every single one of them. All of them had seen her at least once a week. None of them had noticed anything but then again, how could they have? Tsuky was a master had pretending nothing was wrong.

"She desired to become a shinobi, but the Nowhara clan forbids women from joining the ranks."

"Damn misogynistic bastards." Tsunade muttered, and they all wisely kept their mouths shut.

"As such, Nowhara trained in secret –but was acutely aware of the risks. She hoped to keep up the charade until her eighteenth birthday, when she would be free the leave the clan if she wished, regardless of the Nowhara's wishes. But she was struggling too much, to the point that she attempted to take her own life."

"She what!?"

"Was she really that desperate…?"

"We would have seen the signs beforehand!"

"I never knew…"

"That's when she met Uchiha Itachi."

The silence came back. They all knew –more or less- how it went afterwards.

"The Uchiha spent the next three years or so training her."

"Wait, you're saying he was close to us this whole time?"

"We're lucky he didn't try anything…"

"How could he? Naruto was away…"

"For these three years," Ibiki slightly raised his voice, until there were no more interruptions, "he trained her. She had figured he wanted something from her, but she didn't know what. And he threatened her not to say a word about his presence.

"Then a few months before her sixteenth birthday," and there they all unconsciously stepped closer, knowing this was the part where she had disappeared, "the clan arranged a marriage between her and the Fire Daimyo's son, who is twice her age and has a notably… _lecherous_ reputation. When Nowhara told the Uchiha of this, he finally explained what he wanted to her since the beginning," he paused for dramatic effect, "and that was to join the Akatsuki."

"Several times she reaffirmed her loyalty to Konoha, even when she made the decision to leave. She was unfortunately caught by Ayano, and was tortured for several hours until Uchiha Itachi broke into the compound, killed Ayano and took her away. But that is not all."

Several curious eyes settled on him, and he smirked inwardly. He wondered how they would react.

"The last entry of her journal is dated to three days ago."

There was a brief silence. Then chaos erupted.

"How the hell could she write inside then?"

"It doesn't make sense!"

"So what, she came back here just to write?"

"Or she brought it back here. But why?"

"…You already know why, don't you?"

Ibiki looked at them impassively.

"The notebook wasn't hidden. Someone purposefully put it here, so we would stumble upon it, and read what was written inside. And the interesting part is…"

"Tsuky described every single Akatsuki member, along with a detailed resume of their abilities –and some tips to defeat them." Shikamaru was the first to react.

"That looks like a trap. It could be false information for all we know." But Tsunade shook her head.

"We compared it with what little info we'd managed to gather. They match. And why would the Akatsuki use such a trap? We're in their way, but we aren't exactly a problem for them –yet. I really intend to change that." She opened a drawer of her desk and got several scrolls out, that she gave to each one of them. "This is all we know about the Akatsuki. I want you to have learned it all by tomorrow morning, when you mission starts."

She looked at them all in the eyes.

"Hunt Uchiha Itachi down, and take him alive if you can. We find Itachi, we find both Sasuke and Tsuky."

XxxX

The great water dragon crashed to the ground.

Sasuke landed on his feet with a wince, fingers ready to form the handsigns –but he quickly realised there was no need. The fight was over.

Tsuky could barely stay standing. Her whole body ached like it never had before, the muscles strained and screaming at her to rest. Bruises had already started to blossom on her middle, back and shoulders, and blood flowed freely from the many cuts –most shallow, but some rather deep- that littered her skin. She could even taste it in her mouth, after he'd landed a powerful punch on her aching jaw. She had lost, that much was obvious, but she'd passed the test. Sasuke wasn't much better than her, as she'd managed to land quite a few hits on him, as well. She'd managed to catch him once with the Hoshigan, resulting in a nasty cut on his right arm, which was still bleeding. But it wasn't enough.

She felt him reappear behind her, and she did not fight him. Blissful unconsciousness engulfed her, and her last thought was that she had probably set the end in motion instead of slowing it.

The kunoichi fell limply in his arms, and Sasuke tightened his grip on her. He hadn't meant to be so brutal –but he had to make sure she would be disorientated enough for him to knock her out. A strong chakra was approaching rather quickly, and he didn't want to fight anyone while having her with him.

He kneeled on the cold, wet ground, pushing a lonely strand of hair back behind her ear.

"…I have you now, Tsuky," he whispered, a worrying glint in his onyx eyes, before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

And for the distressed man-boy and the angry blonde who came not too long after, there was no trace of either shinobi in that clearing apart from the tall, soaked trees.

They seemed to be weeping.

XxxX

Yep, that's it.

I know the end is almost only things you already knew, but the rookie eleven didn't.

I intended for Sasuke's and Tsuky's fight to last longer, but I couldn't. Mostly because I struggle a lot with fighting scenes.

Tsuky is far from weak –I picture her to be at Sakura's level- but she's unconsciously holding back during the whole fight, because she does not want to hurt Sasuke.

A review = one cookie for the reviewer! (:


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